[MSP] KNFB Reader on a Nokia cell phone

Fri Feb 1 15:18:58 CST 2008

On 1/29/08, Mike Bowman <hmbowman at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> I agree 110%, but I don't remember anyone going around and asking any of us
> for [pricing on KNFB Reader] input (wouldn't that be a Novel Approach?).

I think this points to an obvious weakness that is present in the
blindness rehabilitation system here in the United States.  What I've
found is that blindness-oriented technicians and vocational rehab
specialists and supervisors start by creating a short list of folks
whom they trust as vendors and technology manufacturers.  Once they
are sold that a particular technology works or that a certain vendor
comes through for his/her clients satisfactorily most of the time,
they will recommend a familiar or comfortable solution without
engaging in critical thinking, and certainly without trying to arrive
at a cutting-edge solution that might be better and far less pricey.
For them, it's often about closing a case reliably and avoiding risk
of the unknown as much as possible.

I'm not personally involved in this rehabilitation web, rather than
being an occasional client myself.  And I'm dealing with people of
above-average intelligence and commitment in my local area.  I've only
now begun to introduce to these persons the concept of MobileSpeak and
affordably modifying off-the-shelf PDAs and mobile phones for use with
blind people.  The specialists in my network either had never heard of
this strategy before, or they'd never seen it work successfully.  And
up to now, state technocrats haven't been especially sensitive to how
much something costs, because if they have been awarded a budget by
the state assembly for a certain purpose, they have to spend all of
that money in a given year to have assurance of getting equal or more
the following year.

This culture is changing, however, at least in the state of Indiana
where I live.  I'm hearing from reliable sources that before long,
disabled persons who are employed and who qualify for assistance from
the state to purchase equipment will have to foot part of the bill
themselves, with the amount of a client's required contribution being
in proportion to his/her earned income.  This new policy, if enacted
in very many states, will make things better for more progressive
companies like Code Factory, because state officials and disabled
patrons themselves will have to become a lot more cognizant of price.
Many of us already are becoming more cognizant of price.

The other factor in play here, I believe, is that the NFB and
Kurzweil's companies have enjoyed a godlike reputation in the
blindness community of the United States for more than 30 years.
Don't get me wrong; all of us, I believe, owe a debt of gratitude to
Ray Kurzweil and to the pioneers in the NFB for showing us
possibilities that had never been realized in this country prior to
the last half of the 20th century.  But the problem is that folks like
Messrs. Maurer and Kurzweil probably believe that with the NFB's stamp
on anything, it can be priced as high as possible and we'll bow down
before them and flock to the device, no matter what it costs.  I'm
afraid that for the younger or more entrepreneurial or business-savvy
population of blind people in the 21st century, this argument will not
hold water much longer.

My observations are not meant as a blanket description or condemnation
of anyone or anything--just based on what I know from what I've
experienced and heard about in the four different parts of the USA
where I've resided.  It would be interesting to hear back from some of
our Canadian, European, Australian, or Asian fellow travelers to see
whether price is a big component in accessible product purchase
decisions made there.  This would be a really interesting discussion.
Since MobileSpeak seems to have taken off like a wildfire in Europe
especially, I'm presuming price sensitivity is a much more important
factor elsewhere--along with compatibility to mainstream technologies.

-Kane
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: msp_mailing-bounces at codefactory.cat
> [mailto:msp_mailing-bounces at codefactory.cat] On Behalf Of Dan Greene
> Sent: Monday, January 28, 2008 4:43 PM
> To: Mobile Speak/Magnifier Pocket Users List
> Subject: Re: [MSP] KNFB Reader on a Nokia cell phone
>
> Actually, the device sounds just like a port of the nfb reader to a cell
> phone.
> And, since you'd need a screen-reader in addition to make the device fully
> accessible (as it states on the nfb reader website), the real cost of this
> cellphone for blind folks is more like $2600,  a bit on the obscene side for
> a cell phone if you ask me...
> Also, the N82, is a GSM phone and will only work as a phone on GSM networks
> (their website says, AT&T and T-Mobile).
>
> I would much rather see an OCR application that runs on Windows Mobile, or
> symbian, that integrates well and plays well with existing screen-reading
> solutions.
> That way, just like with MSP, we, the blind consumers, can pick our device
> of choice and aren't tied to whatever device the "experts" think we should
> use.
>
> Just my cynical, one and a half cents.
>
> Cheers
> Dan Greene
>
> On 1/28/2008 12:45 PM, Rick Alfaro noted...
> >Wow, quite an achievement.  It would be wonderful if CodeFactory could
> >some day develop this technology as well and make it part of their
> >current products at a more affordable price.  Although what the device
> >is amazing considering it is on a cell phone, at $2100, I don't think
> >we will see blind folks standing in line to buy one and I don't see
> >agencies purchasing something like this quite yet.  Congratulations to
> >them however for the research and development that must have gone into
> >this, and at great expense I would probably say.
> >
> >Wonder which Nokia phone they are using to run this software?
> >
> >
> >
> >Warmest regards,
> >
> >Rick Alfaro
> >rick.alfaro at comcast.net
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: msp_mailing-bounces at codefactory.cat
> >[mailto:msp_mailing-bounces at codefactory.cat] On Behalf Of Terri
> >Hedgpeth
> >Sent: Monday, January 28, 2008 10:51 AM
> >To: Mobile Speak/Magnifier Smartphone Users List;
> >msp_mailing at codefactory.es
> >Subject: [MSP] KNFB Reader on a Nokia cell phone
> >
> >FYI
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: Visually Impaired Computer Users' Group List
> >[mailto:VICUG-L at LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG] On Behalf Of Senk, Mark J.
> >(CDC/NIOSH/NPPTL)
> >Sent: Monday, January 28, 2008 8:28 AM
> >To: VICUG-L at LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG
> >Subject: [VICUG-L] KNFB Reader on a cell phone
> >
> >BALTIMORE (AP) - Chris Danielsen fidgets with the cell phone, holding
> >it over a $20 bill.
> >
> >"Detecting orientation, processing U.S. currency image," the phone says
> >in a flat monotone before Danielsen snaps a photo. A few seconds later,
> >the phone says, "Twenty dollars."
> >
> >Danielsen, a spokesman for the National Federation of the Blind, is
> >holding the next generation of computerized aids for the blind and
> >visually impaired.
> >
> >The Nokia cell phone is loaded with software that turns text on
> >photographed documents into speech. In addition to telling whether a
> >bill is worth $1, $5, $10 or $20, it also allows users to read anything
> >that is photographed, whether it's a restaurant menu, a phone book or a
> >fax.
> >
> >While the technology is not new, the NFB and the software's developer
> >say the cell phone is the first to incorporate the text-to-speech
> >ability.
> >
> >"We've had reading devices before," Danielsen said, noting similar
> >software is already available in a larger handheld reader housed in a
> >personal digital assistant. Companies such as Code Factory SL, Dolphin
> >Computer Access Ltd. and Nuance Communications Inc. also provide
> >software that allows the blind to use cell phones and PDAs.
> >
> >Inexpensive hand-held scanners such as WizCom Technologies Ltd.'s
> >SuperPen can scan limited amounts of text, read it aloud and even
> >translate from other languages.
> >
> >However, the $2,100 NFB device combines all of those functions in one
> >smart phone, said James Gashel, vice president of business development
> >for K-NFB Reading Technology Inc., which is marketing the phone as a
> >joint venture between the federation and software developer Ray
> >Kurzweil.
> >
> >"It is the next step, but this is a huge leap," Gashel, who is blind,
> >said in a telephone interview. "I'm talking to you on the device I also
> >use to read things. I can put it in my pocket and at the touch of a
> >button, in 20 seconds, be reading something I need to read in print."
> >
> >Ray Kurzweil, who developed the first device that could convert text
> >into audio in the 1970s and the current NFB device, said portability is
> >only the first step. Future versions of the device will recognize
> >faces, identify rooms and translate text from other languages for the
> >blind and the sighted.
> >
> >The inventor plans to begin marketing the cell phone in February
> >through K-NFB Reading Technology. The software will cost $1,595 and the
> >cell phone is expected to cost about $500, Kurzweil said.
> >
> >Dave Doermann, president of College Park-based Applied Media Analysis
> >said his company is working on similar software for smart phones that
> >could be used by the military for translation and by the visually
> >impaired.
> >
> >"We don't anticipate ours being that expensive, but unfortunately we're
> >not quite to the release yet," said Doermann, who is also co-director
> >of the University of Maryland's Laboratory for Language and Media
> >Processing.
> >
> >Doermann said the company, which has received funding from the
> >Department of Defense and the National Eye Institute, hopes to have its
> >software ready in the next 12 to 18 months.
> >
> >Kurzweil's device uses speech software provided by Nuance, said Chris
> >Strammiello, the director of product management at Nuance, who said the
> >company has also developed a prototype reader that uses the Internet to
> >access more powerful server-side computers.
> >
> >"As you can harness the power of remote environments and do that so
> >quickly with the Web technologies, it gives a lot more capability,
> >flexibility and options to the way you solve these type of problems,"
> >Strammiello said.
> >
> >There are about 10 million blind and visually impaired people in the
> >U.S., a number that is expected to double in the next 30 years as baby
> >boomers age.
> >
> >Kurzweil said those with vision problems are not the only ones expected
> >to benefit from the technology. Dyslexics, for example, are expected to
> >be among the users of the current device because of its ability to
> >highlight each word as it's read aloud, helping them cope with their
> >disability, which affects the ability to read. The highlighting
> >function can also help them improve their reading skills, he said.
> >
> >"What's new here is both blind people and kids can do this with a
> >device that fits in their shirt pocket," Kurzweil said.
> >
> >Marc Maurer, president of the National Federation of the Blind, said
> >the device and its PDA predecessor are a "form of hand-held vision"
> >that will make the visual environment "much more readily available to
> >the blind."
> >
> >___
> >
> >National Federation of the Blind:
> >http://www.nfb.org
> >
> >K-NFB Reading Technology Inc.:
> >http://www.knfbreader.com
> >
> >Kurzweil Technologies Inc.:
> >http://www.kurzweiltech.com/ktihome.html
> >
> >Applied Media Analysis:
> >http://appliedmediaanalysis.com
> >
> >Hosted by
> >Google
> >
> >Copyright (c) 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
> >
> >
> >     VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
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> >
> >
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