As for Aira, if 10 times as many people used it they would also need a multiple of the number of employees they have now to answer calls, when there is one-on-one human interaction involved I am not sure if there are efficiencies of scale involved and if so at least not to the extend they exist with technology. Yes, cell phone calls are relatively inexpensive now because the infrastructure, i.e. the cell towers, exist and newer technologies have made it possible to handle so much more volume, faster data speeds and all that. Let’s assume Aira has a thousand users now and that there are 100 people who answer their calls, if suddenly they had ten thousand that doesn’t mean the existing 100 staff who is trained to answer calls can handle that volume, maybe they wouldn’t need a thousand staff to handle the tenfold increase, but I bet they would need 600 or 800 (this is just my example). So yes, theoretically this may result in a 20% or even 40% decrease in cost just based on those numbers, but whether that works out in reality is questionable. One thing which might bring down the cost a bit would be if data access became cheaper, don’t forget that with your subscription you are also getting some relatively expensive hardware as well as a data plan which alone might be worth $30 a month, that is already 30% of the basic $90 a month subscription cost.
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Ian Harrison Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2018 2:56 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Glasses Hi. IMHO I think the pricing reflects the current scale of the operation. It is a bit like how expensive mobile phone minutes or internet used to be until numbers increased. However a product for the blind is not such a mass market - only 285 million of us across the world at the last count. Even so, it would be a mistake if they could not eventually produce a more affordable option. The barriers to entry for products such as KNFB and Senderro are proof of this. It is a risky business when someone like Microsoft can suddenly come up with Seeing AI, pretty much undercutting KNFB and many other stand alone apps. I am in the UK, so canot currently try Aira out. I would love to see how it impacted on my life. If it was marginal I would simply stop buying minutes. I would hope they would go to rollover minutes but that would seriously affect their cash flow at this time of development and growth. Ian On 4 May 2018, at 12:42, Brandon Olivares <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: Personally I really like Aira, though I don't need the unlimited. I generally use Aira to read my mail, and sometimes to do something on the computer that's inaccessible for me. There are other apps that can do some of this, but I know from personal experience they aren't nearly as fast or as convenient as using Aira. I used to use Seeing AI for trying to read my mail, just reading the envelopes to know if it was important or not, and it took me probably two or three times the time as it does with Aira. I do wish there were a cheaper option, as I find myself using it less and less frequently, but don't want to give it up altogether. I'm not sure if the $89 is worth it for how little I've been using it, so it'd be nice if they had one lower package. Brandon On May 4, 2018, at 7:37 AM, Mama Peach <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: I get that, but I think it is just another case of because we are blind, we are charged outragious prices for the service. I guess if it is a “got to have it situation and one has the money, then it would be nice to have. There are just so many apps out there that provide this same service, for very little money or nothing at all. From: Sieghard Weitzel<mailto:[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2018 11:35 PM To: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> Subject: RE: Glasses If you live a lifestyle where you need this level of assistance whether it’s maybe for a difficult job or whatever else you might like to do then it’s actually ot that expensive. How many hours of assistance can you get one-on-one if you paid somebody $15 an hour? Easy calculation, at $329 for unlimited service that would be 22 hours a months which is just a bit less than 45 minutes a day. I think also that for many people the 400 minutes or 6 hours and 40 minutes for $199 is enough and the big benefit is that the assistance is available just about any time you need it and not when maybe you asked whoever helps you to stop by. On the other hand, paying $199 for 400 minutes works out to almost $30 an hour. In any case, it sounds as if those who can afford it and have it all agree it is worth it. Regards, Sieghard From: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> On Behalf Of Mama Peach Sent: Thursday, May 3, 2018 9:25 PM To: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> Subject: Re: Glasses Wow, my rent costs less than the unlimited minutes per month. Why not just use apps that are already available that don’t cost anywhere near this amount. I just can’t see spending that amount of money, but that is just my opinion. From: Andy Baracco<mailto:[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2018 6:51 PM To: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> Subject: Re: Glasses The Samsung phone included with the new glasses is simply for providing power to the glasses. Apparently Talk Back is locked out, so you can't use the phone as a phone, so you still will have 4 pieces of hardware, the iPhone, the bluetooth headset, the Samsung phone, and the glasses. The advantage to this system is that you don't have to charge the glasses separately, as the Samsung phone will power them. Andy ----- Original Message ----- From: Kay Malmquist<mailto:[email protected]> To: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2018 5:38 PM Subject: Re: Glasses They are introducing a new model called the horizon and this is a new pair of glasses that have the camera in the middle and operates with a Samsung phone that is dedicated for just Aira. No more Mifi and less hardware. You can still use your iPhone if you like, but if not and you want to use the new system, this will free up your Iphone for use in whatever way you like. The new glasses will have a larger field of vision. As for becoming dependent on Aira, I don't really think so. Do I like using it for things? Yes, When it comes to describing events, helping me put items together, finding things on the net that I wanted to buy more of and so much more. Just makes my life a bit easier and I don't feel that dependence is the issue. I still do things without the help of Aira, but when I use them to quick scan my mail or find a sirloin steak in my freezer that doesn't have a barcode because it is from a side, I appreciate them very much. Finding my way in an office building when no one else is around has become less of a chore that's for sure. Kay Malmquist [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> Gratitude Advantages "No matter what your temperament is now, gratitude will give you more patience, understanding, compassion, and kindness." — Rhonda Byrne ----- Original Message ----- From: Andy Baracco<mailto:[email protected]> To: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2018 3:22 PM Subject: Re: Glasses i agree with michael. When I was working I would have had the same issues. But my friends who have the service absolutely love it, in fact, they seem to be addicted to it, and I think that is a negative. Lately they seem to be everywhere, doing an advertising blitz and I almost feel like it's being shoved down my throat. But i think there is a use case for it, and if my circumstances were different, I might consider it. I think it's neat, but certainly not for everyone. I do wish that there was a way that the glasses could interface directly with the iPhone so you wouldn't need another device. As it is you have your phone, some way to get audio, i. e. bluetooth headset, the glasses, and either a mobile hot spot or another phone that you would need to power the glasses. You need to make sure that all of these pieces are charged and in working order, and if one link in the chain fails, you're back to your own skills. Andy ----- Original Message ----- From: Michael Maslo<mailto:[email protected]> To: Viphone<mailto:[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2018 8:27 AM Subject: Re: Glasses Out of curiosity, what plans are people who have these glasses have? I personally can't justify the price for none of the plans. I would be prohibiting to use them on my job due to sensitive material I have or in contact with. Also the money spent for the glasses and plans could be used to pay bills, save for a vacation or so many items. I respect there are a lot who like this application but it is but not for me. If those who have these glasses go shopping with them, how long does it take you to go shopping? Is it faster then asking for assistance or using the on line services offered by a lot of chains? Thanks for any responses. On May 3, 2018 at 09:40, <Carolyn Arnold<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: I wonder if their minutes roll over like AT&T and Net 10 prepay plans do? Best regards, Carolyn -----Original Message----- From: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Scott Rumery Sent: Thursday, May 3, 2018 9:28 AM To: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> Subject: Re: Glasses Hi Linda, The name of the company is Aira pronounced "Eye Ra". I am actually going to be signing up for the service today and if you or anyone else on the list are interested I can share a referral link that if you use it when you sign up for the service will get us both a free month of the service. The pricing for Aira is as follows: 100 minutes per month for $89 200 minutes per month for $129 400 minutes per month for $199 Unlimited minutes per month for $329 I know that it sounds like a lot of money to pay but if you really think about the service that they are providing it really doesn't seem that high to me. I know that for my wife and me we will get a lot of use out of this service as there are a lot of times during the month that we have to ask one of our sighted friends or family members to either come over to our house to help us or to use Face Time on the iPhone to help us. I am going to be signing up with the 200 minute plan to start, but if we need more time (which seems unlikely) I can change it later. Also, keep in mind that if you find that you are not using all of your minutes in the month you can then downgrade your service unless you are already on the lowest tier plan. I believe that if you use all of your minutes in a given month that you can then purchase more time but as of right now I do not know how much it cost to add time to the current month. I hope that this information is helpful, and please let me know if you are interested in getting a referral link as I will then share it with you. I hope that everyone has a great day! Scott Rumery On 5/3/18, Lynda Ingraham <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: > Hi Everyone, > > > > Could someone please post or repost the contact for the information > for the company that has developed the glasses that allow you to > receive live assistance from a person? If you happen to know the pricing > plans, great. > If > not, the contact info would be great. > > > > Thank you, > > > > Lynda > > -- > The following information is important for all members of the V iPhone > list. > > If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, > or if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact > the owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. > > Your V iPhone list moderator is Mark Taylor. Mark can be reached at: > [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>. 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