[nfb-talk] The Digital Talking Player From Human Wear:

[Kenneth Chrane]

How does this sound to everyone?  Wouldn't mind having one of these.



Copied from their web site:
http://www.humanware.com/en-usa/about_us/press_releases/290607_vr_stream_launch

HumanWare launches Victor Reader Stream, a powerful, palm-size DAISY-MP3 
player for playing books and music
Longueuil (Quebec, Canada), June 29, 2007
HumanWare is proud to introduce its most compact, most powerful DAISY player 
to date, the Victor Reader Stream. Blind and low vision people can 
comfortably
hold this new player in the palm of their hand (4.6 x 2.6 x 0.9) and have 
the flexibility to quickly and accurately access content from digital audio 
books.

Developed with the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the Victor Reader 
Stream uses the latest technology from HumanWare to be able to read digital
talking books from the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically 
Handicapped (NLS). Not only will you be able to play and navigate the NLS
books on cartridges, but you will also have access to NLS download books. 
The Stream has a USB port to connect to your computer so you can transfer 
download
books and music from your PC to the Stream's SD flash memory card.

As the newest member of the family of Victor Reader digital talking book 
players, the Stream offers the same powerful and simple to use user 
interface
made popular by the Victor Reader Classic+ and Wave players used by 
thousands worldwide. The Victor Reader Stream can play various electronic 
book formats,
including DAISY, Bookshare, text, wav, MP3 and OGG Vorbis audio files. As 
well, the ability to play the popular commercial books from Audible.com will
be added by September. The player also provides integrated text-to-speech 
for reading books in text format, such as those from Bookshare. It uses a 
removable
SD flash memory card to store books, music as well as electronic text, and 
can even record voice notes.

"The VR Stream benefits from our many years of expertise learned through 
developing and marketing tens of thousands of our Victor Reader digital 
talking
book players all over the world," says Gerry Chevalier, Product Manager. "No 
other DAISY player has offered so much in such a small device."

The Stream offers the most advanced DAISY functions, as well as navigation 
capabilities for all kinds of books, from textbooks to fiction. Students 
will
definitely appreciate Victor Reader Stream for quickly and effectively 
consulting their school books, making voice notes or recording their teacher 
during
class. This tool is indispensable for people who are required to use 
reference books as a regular part of their job.

"This new player was designed to meet the needs of the increasing number of 
on-the-go blind and low vision students and professionals," said Gerry 
Chevalier.
"Its small size and flexible SD card storage allow our customers to take 
their entire book and music library with them anywhere, anytime."

The best news of all... priced at only $329, the Stream is your best buy for 
DAISY players, offering so much performance and functionality at such a low
price. Don't forget all NFB and ACB members receive a 5% discount. But 
that's not all. If you purchase online at HumanWare before July 31, 2007, 
you have
a 10% chance of getting your Stream for free. HumanWare will randomly choose 
one out of ten July purchasers to receive their Stream at no cost.

Victor Reader Stream is available for purchase online in the USA at
http://www.humanware.com/.
 The new Stream will become available in other countries over the next 
several months.

About HumanWare

HumanWare is the global leader in assistive technologies for vision. 
HumanWare provides products to blind and low-vision people and students with 
learning
disabilities. HumanWare's many innovative products include BrailleNote, the 
leading productivity device for blind people in education, in business and
in their personal lives; the Victor Reader product line, the world's leading 
digital audiobook players, and SmartView Xtend, the first fully modular and
upgradeable CCTV-based video magnifier.

###

For more information:

HumanWare Canada
Nicolas Lagace
Tel.: (450) 463-1717
E-mail:
nicolas.lagace at humanware.com


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