This actually is the article that someone shared with me. So, interesting that they believe TextDetective is the best, yet the reviews indicate a little something different. I think some of the success will be how well you can work with the phone by keeping things steady etc.
On Oct 7, 2012, at 9:32 AM, Russ Kiehne <russ94...@gmail.com> wrote: > Perhaps the following from Access World will help: > What's on this Page: A Review of the SayText, Prizmo, and TextDetective iOS > Reading > Apps > Janet Ingber > When the K-NFB Reader Mobile was released in January 2008, it revolutionized > how > people with visual impairments could scan and read printed materials using > their > cell phone camera. The K-NFB Reader Mobile's software, an Optical Character > Recognition > (OCR) program, was developed by Ray Kurzweil and the National Federation of > the Blind. > That software, however, can only be used on a limited number of Nokia cell > phones, > which not all carriers support, and although the K-NFB Reader Mobile is > self-voicing > (which makes the cell phone fully accessible), a separate screen reader > program must > be purchased and installed. The K-NFB Reader, Nokia phone, and separate > screen reader > can be a very expensive combination. > Users of iOS devices (iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, etc.) now have several > choices for > OCR apps. Although these apps do not have all the capabilities of the > pioneering > K-NFB Reader Mobile, they are extremely inexpensive, and no additional screen > reader > is necessary. > The apps reviewed here are SayText, Prizmo, and TextDetective. SayText and > TextDetective > are designed specifically for people with visual impairments. For this > review, each > app was tested three times using a printed sheet (a letter), a glossy page > from a > magazine, and a book page, on both an iPhone 4 and an iPhone 4S. (The iPhone > 4S has > a more sophisticated camera than the iPhone 4, but the slight improvement in > performance > is not enough to warrant getting the 4S.) Lighting conditions were the same > for all > tests. > Getting Started > These apps need good light as they will not work in very dim lighting > conditions. > Finding the correct distance between the document and the camera lens takes > some > trial and error, and it's not always the distance that the app instructions > recommend. > Depending on the size of the page, it may take several scans to capture the > entire > document. The document needs to be flat, since any wrinkling or folds will > cause > the app to read as gibberish. If scanning results come back as a combination > of words > and gibberish, try a different scanning distance, make sure the document is > completely > flat, and try scanning with more available light (and be careful not to block > the > light with your body). > SayText Version 1.3 > As described in the iTunes Store, SayText Version 1.3 is a free product > created for > users who are blind or visually impaired. It requires iOS 5.0 or later. > When the app loads, there are four available buttons: "Take Picture," > "Tutorial," > "Settings," and "Info." The tutorial is easy to follow, but unfortunately, > the app > does not work properly. According to the tutorial, the user must place the > iOS device > on the document with the camera facing down, then slowly lift the device up. > When > the document is in focus, a beep should sound. The camera takes the photo and > then > translates the result into text. While the document is processing, the user > can tap > the screen to check on progress. Once the document is converted, you swipe > right > to hear the text. > During all the testing, the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S never made a beep > sound and > never snapped a photo. You need to activate the "Take Picture" button, which > brings > up a new screen with a "Camera" button, and activating that button causes the > camera > to take a picture. When the app indicated that OCR was complete, I attempted > to read > the text, but all I got was gibberish. > The app did not read the printed page, the glossy magazine page, or the page > from > a book. I used sighted assistance to try to get a better image but still had > the > same result. My next step was to check the > AppleVis website > to determine if other users have the same problem. There are many comments, > and > everyone that posted a comment seems to have had the same experience. > SayText is a very disappointing product. According to the instructions, it's > easy > to use and gives good results, but we were unable to get the app to read > anything > during testing. > Prizmo Version 1.1.7 > This $9.99 app works on all iOS devices running iOS 3.1 or later. The iTunes > Store > description of the app claims that Prizmo will scan and recognize the text > from your > photos of text documents, business cards, bills, and even whiteboards, and > with the > use of Cloud technology, you can share that information with your other > devices as > well as with other people. Another highlighted feature is that this app has > speech-operated > shooting for taking the image that you want read. > This app is somewhat complicated to use. When the app loads, there are > several options > from which to choose, including Settings, Text, and Business Card. In the > Settings > menu, you should turn off the alignment grid and turn on the speech control > option, > which allows the user to take a photo by voice rather than by activating the > button. > This can help with image stabilization. Since VoiceOver's volume will > decrease significantly > once the camera option in the app is activated, you might want to wear > headphones > in order to hear instructions at a normal volume. > Once out of the Settings menu, place the iPhone on the document with the > camera's > lens in the middle of the page, using the side of the document to ensure the > phone > is straight. After lifting the phone 7 to 9 inches from the paper, double tap > the > "Text" Button. When the next screen loads, activate the "Camera" button. Your > phone > will vibrate when the camera screen loads; you'll hear the VoiceOver prompt, > "Say > 'Take Picture' when ready." > Once you take the picture, activate the "Use" button, which is the last > button at > the bottom of the screen. On the next screen, activate the "Next" button at > the top > right, which activates the processing screen. Once processed, VoiceOver will > announce > that the document can be edited, and you can read the results by doing a two > finger > swipe down. After you have reviewed the document, activate the "Next" button. > On > the new screen, there will be several options, including "Save," "Translate," > and > "Copy." Doing a three finger left swipe will bring up additional options, > such as > "Mail" and the Cloud app. Activating any of these buttons will open up the > appropriate > page. Activating the "Done" button in the upper right corner of the screen > will close > the screen and bring the app back to its home screen. > Prizmo did best with the letter and the magazine page. Although one scan of > each > did not give all the information and resulted in some gibberish, most of the > information > was read. Prizmo had more trouble with the book, especially with text closest > to > the fold. > TextDetective version 1.0.4 > This $1.99 app works on iOS 5 or later and was designed for people with > visual impairments. > The app description states that TextDetective allows you to read, edit, or > copy and > paste the recognized text from the image that you take into other documents > or e-mails, > and to store it in a History tab. While the description states that the app > works > best with the iPhone 4S and is also useable with the iPhone 4 and iPod Touch, > it > cautions iPad users due to the difference in that device's camera placement. > TextDetective is relatively easy to use. The user holds the device in > landscape mode > with the "Home" button to the left. When the app loads, there are four tabs > on the > bottom of the screen: Scan, History, Tips, and Feedback. By default, the Scan > tab > is selected. > To use the app, align the "Home" button with the edge of a document, then > lift the > phone up until it's about 8 to10 inches away from the document. Double tap > the "Start > Scan" button. When TextDetective finds the document, the phone will vibrate. > This > can take a few seconds, especially with the iPhone 4, but VoiceOver will > speak conversion > progress messages as it's happening. Once the app has finished processing the > document, > a new screen will appear with the text. At the top right of the screen is a > button > which allows for reading the entire text or individual segments. Whatever has > been > scanned is automatically saved in the History tab. > The TextDetective app did best with the printed page. Like Prizmo, it also > worked > well with the magazine page, and though it performed better than Prizmo with > books, > it still needed several scans for each page. TextDetective showed the most > difference > between the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S in processing speed, with the 4S > giving a > somewhat better scan. > Conclusion > By far, the best app of the three was TextDetective, with its solid > performance and > reasonable price. I do not recommend SayText as it had the least effective > results > by far. > Resources > For more information and to download these apps, use the following links: > SayText > from the iTunes Store > Prizmo > from the iTunes Store > The > Prizmo Tutorial > from AppleVis > TextDetective > from the iTunes Store > > Please direct your comments and suggestions to > accesswo...@afb.net > -----Original Message----- From: David Chittenden > Sent: Saturday, October 06, 2012 1:21 PM > To: viphone@googlegroups.com > Subject: Re: Look Tell organizer, any recent scanning apps > > I use Prizmo and Text Detective. Prizmo Has better recognition but is more > finicky to use. > > David Chittenden, MSc, MRCAA > Email: dchitten...@gmail.com > Mobile: +64 21 2288 288 > Sent from my iPhone > > On 07/10/2012, at 7:21, "Tara Prakash" <taraprak...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> Thanks Richard and all. I may have misunderstood this app. This won't serve >> my purpose. >> >> So, which is/are the most recommended scanning apps to read documents, menus >> etc? >> >> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard Turner" >> <richard.turne...@gmail.com> >> To: <viphone@googlegroups.com> >> Sent: Saturday, October 06, 2012 2:12 PM >> Subject: RE: Look Tell organizer >> >> >>> I believe you mean LookTel Recognizer? >>> The one that allows you to take a picture of an object and record an audio >>> label that will play the next time you point the camera at that object. >>> However, you want to make sure that you get the object to fill as much of >>> the shot as you can and that it is unique enough to not be confused with >>> something similar. >>> Be sure and read its description in the app store before buying so you know >>> what you are getting. >>> >>> HTH, >>> Richard >>> >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: viphone@googlegroups.com [mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com] On Behalf >>> Of Tara Prakash >>> Sent: Saturday, October 06, 2012 11:05 AM >>> To: viphone@googlegroups.com >>> Subject: Look Tell organizer >>> >>> Dear all. >>> >>> I remember reading positive stuff about look tell organizer on this list. >>> But where is the app? I couldn't find it on the app store. I tried with >>> space "Look tell organizer" and also without space "Looktell organizer" >>> There is no result found. 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