[Reader-users] knfb reader hardware

Tue Nov 21 19:50:47 CST 2006

Can it go and get the food as well?

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "mhingson" <mhingson at guidedogs.com>
To: "'Kurzweil National Federation of the Blind Reader users list'" 
<reader-users at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, November 21, 2006 11:27 AM
Subject: Re: [Reader-users] knfb reader hardware

> Frankly,
>
> The machine won't be practical until it does the dishes and washes the
> windows.
>
> How about a machine which uses Gashel's voice?  Anything is possible
> with technology.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: reader-users-bounces at nfbnet.org
> [mailto:reader-users-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Gary Wunder
> Sent: Tuesday, November 21, 2006 8:54 AM
> To: Kurzweil National Federation of the Blind Reader users list
> Subject: Re: [Reader-users] knfb reader hardware
>
> And I just want it to prepare it.
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Stanzel, Susan - Kansas City, MO" <susan.stanzel at kcc.usda.gov>
> To: "Kurzweil National Federation of the Blind Reader users list"
> <reader-users at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, November 21, 2006 10:39 AM
> Subject: Re: [Reader-users] knfb reader hardware
>
>
>> Hi Everyone,
>>
>> I just want the reader to read cooking instructions on cans and frozen
>> food.
>>
>> Susie Stanzel
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: reader-users-bounces at nfbnet.org
>> [mailto:reader-users-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Gashel, James
>> Sent: Tuesday, November 21, 2006 10:35 AM
>> To: Kurzweil National Federation of the Blind Reader users list
>> Subject: Re: [Reader-users] knfb reader hardware
>>
>> Hi Kevin and all:
>>
>> Levels of advancement have certainly been discussed.  At this point we
>> are very much focused on making the Reader as responsive to reading
>> needs as we can make it.  All of our development effort is going in
> that
>> direction.  Other things that are not central to that mission are
>> possible but not as priorities.  I am pretty sure many more functions
>> will emerge as this technology develops further in the next few years.
>> Remember that the product was only launched five months ago, so we
> have
>> a lot to do to support this initial role-out.  Our "to-do" list is
> very
>> long, and I thank you very much for adding to it.  Your hopes are
>> definitely being heard.  I was only trying to explain the constraints
> we
>> are under in doing lots of things all at once.  Our first priority is
>> the reader functions, which we will continue to develop with as much
>> talent as we can muster.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: reader-users-bounces at nfbnet.org
>> [mailto:reader-users-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Kevin Jones
>> Sent: Tuesday, November 21, 2006 1:44 AM
>> To: Kurzweil National Federation of the Blind Reader users list
>> Subject: Re: [Reader-users] knfb reader hardware
>>
>> Could we have a simple mode and an advanced mode. Not everyone needs
>> things simple. I often feel keeping things as simple as possible in
> the
>> end just hold us back. Because th pda is already a full pda why not
> make
>> it usable to those who would like to use it, it wouldn't make th
> ereader
>> any less a reader.
>> Kevin
>>
>> Gashel, James wrote:
>>> Hi Kevin and all:
>>>
>>> Thank you for your comments and suggestions about expanding
>>> functionality of the Reader.  Although the camera and PDA we use in
>>> the Reader are separate, off the shelf components, each of these
>>> components was chosen because of its unique qualities to perform the
>>> functions of this particular product.  They were not chosen because
> of
>>
>>> their excellent qualities as either a digital camera or a PDA or for
>>> any other reason whatsoever.  The goal we set out to achieve from the
>>> very beginning was to create a reading device and develop it to
>>> perform as many reading functions as possible.
>>>
>>> As you probably know, we conducted an extensive beta test prior to
>>> releasing the Reader for sale.  The question of enabling certain PDA
>>> functions was definitely discussed by participants across the
> country.
>>> Nothing is cast in stone on this, but the prevailing view has been
>>> that we should remain true to the original mission of creating and
>>> developing the reading machine, rather than devoting development
>>> effort to expand functionality of this device to do things already
>>> achievable by other technology.
>>>
>>> While it is certainly true that we are using a digital camera as part
>>> of the Reader, we are not using the camera to perform the typical
>>> function of taking pictures of objects.  In fact, we are using the
>>> camera in its remote mode and not in its normal picture taking mode.
>>> Likewise, we are only using the PDA to perform the function of a
>>> computer needed to run the software for the Reader.  We are not using
>>> the PDA as a PDA.  Your comments about a combination product are
>>> helpful, but this explains our current thinking.
>>>
>>> Also, we are sensitive to the concerns of some that this product
> needs
>>
>>> to be as simple and straight forward as it possibly can be.  Adding
>>> new features and functionality is definitely desireable, but this
> will
>>
>>> also add more complexity.  For example, we are presently working on
>>> changes to add new features, but these are aimed at reading different
>>> kinds of printed things which the Reader does not now read.  This
>>> responds to the prevailing demand and our mission to continue to
>>> develop this product as a reader first, rather than letting our focus
>>> drift into creating a multifunctional information device.
>>>
>>> Thanks, J. G.
>>>
>>> ******************************************
>>>
>>> James Gashel
>>> Executive Director for Strategic Initiatives NATIONAL FEDERATION OF
>>> THE BLIND 1800 Johnson Street Baltimore, Maryland  21230
>>> Telephone:  (410) 659-9314, ext. 2227
>>> Fax:  (410) 685-5653
>>> Email:  jgashel at nfb.org
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: reader-users-bounces at nfbnet.org
>>> [mailto:reader-users-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Kevin Jones
>>> Sent: Friday, November 17, 2006 9:13 PM
>>> To: reader-users at nfbnet.org
>>> Subject: [Reader-users] knfb reader hardware
>>>
>>> Someone wrote on this list they talked to tech support about what the
>>> reader was made of, wonder what they learned. Here's what I learned,
>>> and I have the newer version of the hardware. The camera is a canon
>>> powershot sd20. It sells for about $250 has auto focus but no zoom, 5
>>> mega-pixels.
>>> The pda for th ereader is the loox 560n from Fujitsu-siemens, a very
>>> nice pocket pc. The pcocessor runs at 624mhz which is the fastest
>>> processor for a pocket pc to date. The ppc also has built-in gps, too
>>> bad we can't use it. They picked this model because out of all the
>>> pocket pcs only those by Fujitsu have usb host, all the rest only
> have
>>
>>> usb client. The other interesting thing is Fujitsu doesn't even sell
>>> any of their pocket pc line in north America, you can only buy them
> in
>>
>>> Europe and Asia.
>>>   The ppc sells for about $700. I would love if the knfb reader could
>>> co-exist with a screen reader like mobile speak pocket, so you could
>>> both use the pda, and use th ereader even if that decision was made
>>> during a soft reset.
>>> Kevin
>>> _______________________________________________
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