[gui-talk] Fwd: Press Release: New Portable Scanner

[Steve Pattison]

>From: John Rae thepenguin at rogers.com
>To: AEBC aebc at blindcanadians.ca
>
>5/1/2006
>
>   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>
>   The Assistive Technology Center in Sacramento has announced the
>   release of the first complete portable scan-and-read system for the
>   blind and print challenged.
>
>   The system, named the "AdvantEdge Reader", combines several mainstream
>and adaptive technologies in order to achieve the goal of a pocket  scan and
>read solution.
>
>     ATC founder Robert Leblond defines the company's mission as searching
>for off-the-shelf applications that can be made to work for the blind  and
>visually impaired.  Leblond has held this philosophy for nearly 2  decades,
>and in the 1980's pioneered the concept of Braille  transcription through
>scanned and faxed documents.
>
>    Today's release is promised to be a breakthrough in reading
>   technology, combining powerful applications with ease of use.  "There  is
>another company working on a similar solution", Leblond says, "but  the
>thing is so hard to use as to be impractical."
>
>   The AdvantEdge Reader, on the other hand, is the essence of simplicity.
>The user merely inserts the material to be read into the scanner.  The
>material is scanned, recognized, converted into readable format, and  read
>automatically.  There are no other steps.
>
>     ATC has, for several years, been adapting scanners for use by the blind.
>Most recently, ATC has adapted the Visioneer strobe scanner.  This is  a
>tiny, portable scanner.  The problem has been finding a small enough  device
>to host the conversion and speech programs.
>
>   This is where the SmallTalk computer comes in.  SmallTalk is a hand
>   held uPC enhanced with the screen reading software "Window Eyes", by
>   GW Micro, an Indiana corporation of some stature in the blindness field.
>
>   Assistive Technology Center took the modified Strobe Scanner, figured  out
>how to install it onto the SmallTalk, and then added the proper  recognition
>program and hardware driver to create the AdvantEdge Reader.
>
>   While other companies have tried to devise portable readers from the
>   ground up, Leblond frowns on this approach.  "The trick is to make
>   yourself aware of the technologies available, and to merge them
>   appropriately, and to add a bit of your own, if necessary." He says.
>
>   The best part is that, in addition to being the first portable scan
>   and read system, the AdvantEdge Reader is also a full Windows XP computer.
>The Reader has a docking cable that allows it to be used as a desktop
>computer replacement.  The docking cable connects to an external  monitor,
>printer, network, keyboard, firewire devices, and more.  Additionally, the
>Reader features internal Bluetooth and Wireless LAN technology.
>
>     To order, or for more information, please contact the Assistive
>   Technology Center via phone at 916-381-5011, or e-mail
>sales at atechcenter.net.

Regards Steve
Email:  srp at internode.on.net
Skype:  steve1963
MSN Messenger:  internetuser383 at hotmail.com