It is such good manner of Intel when this giant chip maker has unveiled a handheld device to help low-vision and blind persons. This device is quite meaningful for the blind as it uses a combination of a point-and-shoot camera and text-to-speech technology to read text for them. Reading is no more impossible for the blind!
This handheld device of Intel has a simple name of Reader whose price starts at $1,499. It is also so simple to use. All users have to do is to point the Reader’s camera to a document, book, or sign to take the pictures which is then spoken to the users. The voice could be male or female and is transmitted through device’s speakers or through headphones. Alternatively, low-vision users can view text at variable levels of magnification on the device’s 4.3-inch (10.9cm) 16:9 LCD display.
The device weighs about 0.65 kg including a removable batter which can last up to four hours of usage.
The Intel Reader could support both the blind and vision-impaired.
More than that, Intel Reader can also play a wide variety of audio formats which are uploaded via USB using the Reader’s USB 2.0 type A or Mini type B ports and play talking books in digital accessible information system format. In addition, the Reader can convert text into MP3s to be played on digital-music players or PCs.
It is certain that the Reader is equipped with an Atom processor together with a 4GB SSD, about 2GB of which can be used for user data. An on-board buffer can hold up to 20 pages before processing them, and it can store up to 500,000 text-only pages or 600 pages containing both text and images.
It is now possible for vision-impaired people to read their personal documents without the help of others, to protect their privacy, as well.
