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Freedom Scientific has released a new portable video magnifier called the Ruby. The Ruby has a 4-inch LCD screen with magnification from 2X to 14X, making it one of the most powerful hand-held portable video magnifiers. The Ruby can be used by simply placing it on the reading material and pressing a button to change the magnification, colors of the background and text. The Ruby also has a large handle that makes holding it very easy when shopping at the stores. The Ruby can run on both rechargebable batteries or alkaline batteries. By moving the camera away from the reading material, readers can change the magnification similar to the manner that one would when using an optical hand magnifier. For more information, contact Freedom Scientific at www.FreedomScientific.com. $745
Enhanced Vision introduced their new portable video magnifier called the Pebble this month. The Pebble is a very compact video magnifier that easily fits into a shirt pocket while still having a 3.5-inch screen with a brilliant image. The Pebble rivals with the popular Looky and Optelec Compact Plus portable video magnifiers. Each of these magnifiers have a handle which makes them look similar to a hand magnifier. The Pebble can produce a range of magnification from 2X to 10X while offering users the versatility of six different colored backgrounds and text colors. The Pebble is lighter in weight than the Optelec Compact Plus and the battery life is longer than that of the Looky. Better yet, the price of the Pebble is $200 less than the Optelec Compact Plus and $50 less than the Looky. For more information, please visit www.EnhancedVision.com
A.B.I.See introduced their latest reading device for people with vision impairment and dyslexia called the Solo Reader. The Solo Reader is a stand alone device that does not require to be connected to a computer. The Solo consists of a square-shaped platform that is about 12-inches by 12-inches. Attached to the platform is a camera that stands about 12-inches above the platform. Users of the Solo can simply place a letter, book, magazine, handout or other printed text on the platform and the Solo automatically takes a picture of the text and begins to read the text aloud in about 3 seconds. The voice synthesizer of the Solo is very human-like and is very easy to understand. On the front portion of the Solo are buttons to adjust the volume and the rate of speech. The Solo also has a version that allows users to connect a computer monitor to the Solo along with a keypad to allow users to see the text on the screen in a magnifier manner. The Solo Reader is the easiest scanning device that we have ever used. For more information, visit www.ABISee.com.
Optelec released their latest version of the popular Clear View Plus desktop video magnifier. The new Clear View Plus looks similar to previous models but the mounting bracket for the monitor now allows users to adjust the distance between the monitor and their eyes to provide maximal clarity of sight without neck or back strain. The new Clear View monitor can also be rotated to either a horizontal or vertical orientation to maximize the field of view when viewing columns of text, spread sheets, or looking at photographs. In addition, the Clear View Plus is now available with a 22-inch LCD monitor. For more information, visit www.shoplowvision.com.
Humanware has announced that they will soon release a software program that will allow visually impaired users of the popular Blackberry cell phone. Orator is the name of the new software that will read menus, e-mail, text messages, and other important information from the Blackberry phones. This recent development now allows people who are blind or dyslexic with a wider variety of cell phones to purchase and utilize. www.Humanware.com
Verizon has just announced that they are offering the Motorola Q Smart Phone with Talks software which will allow people with vision impairment to access text messages, menus, address books, and the Internet for a price of $249. Talks is a special program that uses a computer generated voice to talk to the user. Talks and Mobile Speak are the leading software programs for cell phones that allow the blind to use the features of their cell phones. This price for both the Motorola Q and Talks is an excellent price because the price of the software alone in the past has been between $200 and $300. For more information, call Verizon at 800.922.0204
Freedom Scientific announced that they will be creating a GPS system for their popular Pac Mate notetaker. The new GPS system will be a joint collaboration between Sendero Group and Freedom Scientific. Sendero is one of the leading companies in the field of developing GPS software for people with low vision. This new development will provide PacMate users with the opportunity to benefit from one of the best GPS systems available. For more information, contact www.FreedomScientific.com
Apple has just released a new version of the popular iPod Shuffle that has Voice Over, a feature that will allow the blind to access menus, listen to the names of play lists, as well as the titles and names of each song playing. The new iPod Shuffle is even smaller than the original and it has even more memory. With 4 gigabytes of memory, the iPod Shuffle can store about 1000 songs or 4000 minutes of your favorite pod casts. At a price of $79, the iPod Shuffle is a great value.
Amazon has released their latest electronic book reader called the Kindle 2. The Kindle 2 allows users to download books, newspapers, magazines and music without having to connect to the Internet or a computer. With a press of a button, the Kindle 2 will download a book in less than two minutes. The Kindle 2 is about the size of a paper back book, measuring approximately 8-inches tall, 5- inches wide, and about 1/3 inch thick. However, it can store up to 1,500 books and the battery will last for days.
The Kindle 2 allows users to change the size of the fonts on the books and the Kindle 2 is very lightweight, allowing users with low vision to hold the Kindle 2 close to their eyes to read with their reading glasses. However, the Kindle 2 may not have sufficient contrast for some people with low vision and thus people should actually try one before purchasing one through Amazon.com. Another nice feature of the Kindle 2 is that it will read the text aloud for the reader using a computerized voice. Unfortunately, the menus of the Kindle 2 do not have text to speech voice output and thus the Kindle 2 is not completely accessible for people who are not able to read the menus. For more information, please see www.Amazon.com.
Freedom Scientific has released their latest portable video magnifier called the Sapphire. The Sapphire is a very compact video magnifier that can easily be carried in a brief case, back pack, or in its own leather travel pouch to allow people with low vision to read books, documents, and even 3-dimensional objects such as medication bottles. The Sapphire has a 7-inch LCD screen that can display up to 22 different color combinations of the text and background. The Sapphire provides magnification from 3X to 16X and the screen provides a very sharp image with a wide field of view. The Sapphire is designed similar to a notebook computer to protect the screen. When the Sapphire is opened like a computer, the camera points upward to allow food labels, bottles, and other items to be place on the camera for magnification. When the screen is folded backwards such that the camera points down onto a paper or book, the Sapphire provides users with a very comfortable working angle to read. The Sapphire that we used worked continuously for 4-hours before needing recharging and it also has a video output jack to connect it to a television. For more information, call Freedom Scientific at 800.444.4443
Humanware has released new portable video magnifiers that can help people with low vision to read on the go. First, the Humanware Graduate is a video magnifier that connects to your notebook computer using the USB interface. The camera unfolds and stansd 15-inches above the table. The camera is very small and can be swiveled to focus on the chalkboard, Power Point presentations on the screen, or on the desk to view books and handouts on the computer screen. The camera weighs less than 3-pounds and fits easily into a notebook computer bag or your backpack. The Graduate is an excellent device for students who must take notes in lecture halls because the camera will take photos of the chalkboard and slides on the screen and save them in the computer.
The second portable video magnifier is the Humanware SmartView Nano. This small video magnifier fits easily in your shirt pocket or purse and provides 5X to 20X magnification for less than $250. The SmartView Nano provides both color and high contrast images which makes it an affordable alternative to a magnifier. For more information, visit www.Humanware.com
Apple has just released a new version of the iPod Nano that is accessible for people with low vision. The new Nano is very sleek and functional. The new Nano has the ability to speak menus and the titles of songs, allowing people with low vision to easily locate songs from a play list. The speech output also allows people to access menus and find songs and play lists while jogging or exercising without having to view the screen. In order to access the speech features, users will need to use the iTunes 8 software program into their computers and then load the songs into the new Nano. The new Nano is available in different colors and an 8 gigabyte Nano is $149 while the 16 gigabyte Nano is $199. For more information, visit www.apple.com
an affordable software magnification program designed for people with mild low vision. Similar to the powerful ZoomText software magnification program, ZoomWare works on Microsoft XP and Vista operating systems. ZoomWare can change the magnification of the computer screen up to 2X and is able to alter the colors of the background and text. ZoomWare also has the ability to customize the mouse pointer and cursor, making it easy for people with blind spots to find the mouse pointer. When used in conjunction with the Microsoft Accessibility features standard on Windows XP and Vista, ZoomWare can provide up to 4X magnification, helping people with macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and retinitis pigmentosa. MSRP: $175. For more information, visit www.Aisquared.com
Desktop video magnification system. The new Merlin has been redesigned to have a sleek and streamlined appearance with a smaller footprint, taking up less space on your desk. The Merlin has added a 22-inch wide screen monitor to the line of 17-inch and 19-inch models while lowering the prices. The Merlin continues to be very easy to use with magnification and color controls on the monitor with brightness controls and an illumination switch to turn the lights off when reading glossy pages. Enhanced vision has also modified the auto-focus camera to produce the widest field of view and it has also changed the lighting system to reduce glare when reading glossy pages. The Merlin features a control lever, easy to use controls on the monitor, an adjustable screen that moves up and down, tilts, and also swivels. For more information, see Technology Reviews 2008.
A.B.I. See announces the released of the Eye Pal, a innovative scanning system that can scan books, documents, and text and read it aloud or displayit on a Braille display in less than 3 seconds. The Eye Pal consists of software and a digital camera that is mounted on a foldable tripod. The design of the tripod allows users to easily position the text at the correct location. The camera connects to a PC computer via a USB cable. With apress of a button, the text is scanned and the software reads the text aloud. In addition, the scanned text can be saved as a text file to be read with other readers. The MSRP of the Eye Pal is $1995 and is expected to be released in March 2008.
Nokia and Kurzweil National Federation for the Blind (KNFB) have announced the release of the first cell phone that can take pictures of printed text and read it aloud. The Nokia N 82 cell phone is a smart phone that can send and receive text messages, e-mail, record voice notes, and play MP3 music. The phone also has an address book, phone book, and GPS system. When the KNFB software is loaded into the Nokia N 82 phone, the phone can then take digital photos of text with its 5 mega-pixel camera and the software will read it aloud. In addition, the N 82 cell phone can also be loaded with a screen reading software program that will read the text displayed on the phone, including text messages, e-mail, your address book,calendar, and the menus on the phone. This feature will allow you to know which phone calls you may have missed while your phone was turned off. The price of the phone and software is estimated to be $2395. Although it is expensive, it is approximately $1,000 less than the present Kurzweil NFB portable reader without the option of having a cell phone. For more information, visit www.NFB.org
A T T Wireless has announced a special offer in which they will sell cell phones that are designed for the blind and visually impaired. A T T is selling a special software program called Mobile Speak and Mobile Magnifier, which can be loaded into specific cell phones. A T T is selling either of these software programs for $89, a significant reduction as compared to the retail price Mobile Speaks will read the telephone numbers you are dialing, incoming and missed calls, text messages, your phone book, and other menus aloud. Mobile magnifier has the ability to magnify the text on your cell phone up to 16X. It can also change the colors of the background to provide higher contrast.
Mobile Speaks and Mobile Magnifier are produced by Code Factory, Inc. These software programs can be installed on the ATT Nokia N75, E62, and the Samsung Black Jack Smart Phone. The Nokia N75 is a flip phone that performs basic cell phone functions, including text messaging and taking photos. The E 62 and Black Jack Phones are similar to personal data assistants and are able to send and receive email, access the Internet, and perform a variety of functions. The price of the ATT Nokia N75 and Samsung Black Jack are under $100 after rebate. For further information, call the ATT disabilities services department at 866-241-6568.
Ai Squared has announced the release of their latest version of Zoom Text, one of the most popular computer screen magnification programs for personal computers. Their latest version is called the Zoom Text USB. The software program is installed on a USB memory drive that will allow users to use Zoom Text on any PC computer by simply inserting the drive into a USB port. This will provide low vision computer users to have access to other computers. Zoom Text USB works on Windows Vista, XP, and 2000. It is available in two versions; one with only the screen magnification features while the second version has magnification and speech. The price is $495 for magnification and $695 for magnification and speech. For people who already have Zoom Text, they can purchase an upgrade for $100.00. For further information, see www.aisquared.com
Freedom Scientific has announced the latest release of Open Book, one of the most popular scanning software programs. Open Book 8 is a software program designed for PC computers. With improved voice synthesizers, optical character recognition (OCR) engines, and quick keyboard commands, users can scan books, documents, and access on-line books and have the computer read the text aloud while also displaying the text in large print on the computer screen or in Braille. During the month of December 2007, owners of older versions of Open book can upgrade to the newest version for only $100.00. For more information, contact www.freedomscientific.com or call 800.444.4443.users
ABISee, Inc. announced the released of their latest version of the Zoom Ex scanner and video magnification system. The Zoom Ex is a very unique device that can scan books, magazines, and documents and read the text aloud while also displaying the text in a magnified manner, similar to a video magnification system. The Zoom Ex consists of the software, a camera, and a foldable bracket that connects to a computer via a USB cable. Users can press a key on the computer and the Zoom Ex camera instantly captures an image of the text and displays it in large print on the computer screen while also reading the text aloud. The Zoom Ex combines many of the best features of scan and read programs such as Kurzweil 1000 and Open Book while also offering the ability to magnify images similar to video magnification systems such as the Humanware My Reader. For more information, read the review Zoom Ex LINK. To read more, please see the following review.
The ONYX camera is a very versatile video magnification system that can help people with low vision to see distant objects, reading and writing tasks, and their faces in a magnified view. The ONYX video magnification systems come in a variety of systems to match the needs of the users. Two of the systems allow the users to connect the ONYX camera to their computer, allowing the users to see Power Point presentations or items written on the chalkboard while taking notes. The computer integrated systems also include the Magic screen magnification software program which allows users to see their computer screen in a magnified manner and then they can switch to seeing the notes on the chalkboard in a magnified view with the press of a button. The other two ONYX systems allow users to connect the cameras to either a television or a 17-inch LCD computer monitor. All systems have the ability to magnify the image, change the color and contrast, isolate individual lines of text with the use of line markers, and they can also remember the settings for the distance and reading modes. This is very helpful for those who need one level of magnification when looking at distant objects while another level for reading. All ONYX systems come with a very easy to use remote control that allows users to change the settings with a press of a button.
The QuickLook Zoom is a new portable video magnifier that offers the best features of other portable video magnifiers available today. It has a large LCD screen that is approximately 4 ˝ inches but weighs only 8 ounces, making it one of the lightest portable video magnifiers available. The Quicklook Zoom provides a range of magnification from 3X to 18X in color, black and white, or in reverse mode with white letters on a black background. The Quicklook Zoom can also be customized to display a variety of colored backgrounds and text, a very helpful feature for people with macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. The Quicklook has an internal rechargeable battery that powers the Quicklook Zoom from 4 to 7 hours. The Quicklook can also be used for writing and signing checks or credit cards very easily by swiveling the award-winning camera to focus on the writing material. In addition, the Quicklook Zoom comes with a 2-year warranty on the screen and camera and a 1-year warranty on the battery. To read more, please see The Quicklook Zoom
The Humanware Victor Stream is a very compact portable digital media player that allows users to take their books, music, and voice recordings, and carry it in the palms of their hands. The Victor Stream is about the size of a package of cigarettes and has a keypad that is similar to a television remote control. The Stream allows users to transfer Daisy format books, audio books, music, and electronic books such as those from Book Share into the portable device. The Stream has a built-in speaker along with a headphone jack and produces a stereo signal. The battery is rechargeable and replaceable and lasts up to 15 hours before needing a 4 hour recharge. We found the Victor Stream to be very easy to use. The talking menus allowed us to easily navigate from voice recordings, digital books, and music. The buttons on the Stream were very easy to feel and to see with the high contrast print. We believe the Stream is an excellent option for students who listen to digital books and want the versatility to play MP3 music and record messages. The Stream uses a SD Memory card which makes it very convenient for users to increase the amount of memory or switch from one selection of books or music to another.
MSRP: $329
Optelec releases the Compact to Portable Video Magnifier. The Compact looks like a hand magnifier and offers the most features of a pocket sized video magnification system. It has a 4" LCD screen which produces a bright and sharp image. Users can simply place the Compact on newspapers, mail, and food labels to read and/or magnify its image.
Features of the Compact include:
ATT/Cingular Wireless announced that they are dedicated to produce phones that are accessible for the blind and visually impaired. They announced that they would be demonstrating cell phones that have software, which will read text messages, telephone books, and other information displayed on the cell phone. In addition, they will also carry cell phones that have large print magnification software in the phones.
Freedom Scientific released their new and improved Topaz video magnification system. They have redesigned the control panel, making it easier for people to use. The control panel is a bit smaller, providing users with more space to write and manipulate objects under the camera. Freedom Scientific also included a brightness control knob, which makes it extremely easy for users to adjust the brightness level when reading. We evaluated the new Topaz CCTV and found the improvements to be considerable. The brightness control knob was a major benefit and was extremely easy to use. The quality of the images in both black and white and color were excellent. To read more, please see the following review.
Lowvision.com has launched their new web page along with their sister web site shoplowvision.com Lowvision.com was developed to provide a “one-stop resource” for both patients and professionals. Informative resources are available at these web sites.
Humanware USA announced the release of their My Reader video magnification system. The My Reader is a very unique video magnification system, which incorporates scanning technology to display the text in a large print, and re-formatted view, eliminating the need for users to move the paper or book from left to right while reading. The My Reader is able to display the text in a teleprompter view, Wall Street ticker view, and conventional CCTV views. The main improvement of the new My Reader is that it has a memory that allows users to scan 10 pages of text at a time. We tried the new My Reader to find the image to be much brighter and sharper than the previous versions of the reader. The ability to scan multiple pages was a major improvement because it allowed us to read more quickly and fluidly, without having disruptions between reading each page.
Eschenbach has released a new pocket magnifier that is approximately the size of a credit card. The EZ Mag uses diffractive optics technology while allows the magnification lens to be made very thin. The EZ Mag produces 3X magnification and has a very bright light, which is powered by watch cell batteries. With the press of a button, the lens protrudes out of its case and the light turns on. This magnifier is small enough to fit in a shirt pocket, billfold, or in a purse. We found the EZ Mag to work very well and it is one of the smallest and most convenient magnifiers to carry and use at restaurants, stores, and at the library..
The Looky is a very compact video magnifier that can fit in a shirt pocket and provide from 3X to 8X magnification. The Looky has a 3-˝ inch LCD screen that displays a very bright and sharp image in color, black on white, and white on black. Similar to a conventional hand magnifier, the Looky has a handle that can be unfolded to make it very easy for users to hold. It also has a freeze frame feature that will store an image of the magnified print. For more information, please read the entire review on the For more information, please read a full review here.
Optelec USA and lowvision.com have announced the release of many new low vision aids including the Powerscope monocular telescopes and PowerMag magnifiers. These visual aids provide a range of magnification at an affordable price. We have evaluated these monocular telescopes and spectacles to find them to be an excellent value to help children and adults with low vision.
Freedom Scientific has released a new version of the Scanning and Reading Appliance (SARA). The SARA is a stand-alone scanner that allows users to scan books, mail, letters, newsprint, and even currency on the scanner while the built-in computer processor reads the text aloud. The SARA now includes a variety of voices, which are more human-like and provide a more pleasant listening experience.
Enhanced Vision has released a new portable video magnifier called the Nemo The Nemo is very compact with a four-inch screen. It provides three levels of magnification, ranging from 4.5X to 9X. It has a 3-hour battery life. We evaluated the Nemo to find it to be a very compact and portable video magnifier that produced a very bright and clear image. The Nemo may be a very helpful device for those students who have difficulty-reading small print as well as for employees who need help reading at meetings and conferences.
New Google Accessible Search Page Google has released a search page that is designed to help those with low vision. The Google accessible page makes it much easier for those who use screen-reading programs such as JAWS and Window Eyes by selecting web pages that are more easily accessible for those with low vision. The Google accessible page searches for those web pages that are more easily read by the screen reading software programs as well as those pages that have fewer photographs, diagrams, and illustrations. To try the new search page go to http://labs.Google.com/accessible/
Apple has announced that they are in the process of making a talking I Pod. This will allow users to navigate through the menus of their I Pod to play songs without having to look at the I Pod screen. The talking I Pod has become a topic of interest to Apple after many consumers have complained that they cannot change or select songs while driving or exercising. With the talking I Pod, people can control their I Pod without having to take their eyes off the screen. More importantly, the talking I Pod will allow those with poor vision to use the I Pod.
The National Federation for the Blind (NFB) and Kurzweil have announced that they have developed a small camera that can be used to read documents aloud for those with vision and reading problems. The pocket size device is approximately the size of a digital camera. Users can take a picture of the item to be read and the camera will read the text aloud. This device is expected to cost $3,5000 and can help people to read menus at restaurants, documents at business meetings, and books at school and home. Kurzweil has been a leader for voice to speech technology for decades and is known for its scan and read software which allows users to place books and other reading material on a scanner and the software program can be read aloud on the computer. 877.708.1724
The FDA has approved a medication called Lucentis to be used to treat patients with Wet macular Degeneration. The new drug made by Genentech prevents the formation of abnormal blood vessels, which can damage the light sensing cone cells in the eye. Investigational studies have reported that 95% of subjects who received Lucentis injections in the eye experienced stable or an improvement with their vision. Lucentis is approved to be used on patients with wet macular degeneration. This is not a treatment for dry macular degeneration.
The Dr. Bill Takeshita Fundation
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