My husband and I go on cruises. There's always a ton of paperwork in the state room and daily newspapers, about activities on-board. So, this will come in very handy to read a lot of the stuff we haven't bothered with, before. Cindy ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rose Combs" <rosecombs@xxxxxxxxx> To: <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Friday, July 07, 2006 11:05 AM Subject: RE: Camera That Talks I am an Optacon user, have been for a long time but, I could see a place for this device in my life, not for fine-reading details, however, I don't take the Optacon to places where I might want to read a brochure, or to the store, or to restaurants, places where accuracy of what I am reading isn't the main goal but to get the information I want quickly and immediately is. I could see that both devices could help a blind person become more independent. I would never use the device to look up words in a dictionary like I do the Optacon, but to read an office memo that came only on paper, maybe, to peruse a menu and save my table companions from reading it to me or telling me what interests them, most definitely. I am not buying one just yet, but I can see such a device in my future, maybe, and I have a scanner at home, it is great for a lot of things but if I need to find something particular on a page, the Optacon is my method. I figure if we can either afford or find funding, all the tools we can manage leads us to more independence. Rose Combs rosecombs@xxxxxxxxx -----Original Message----- From: optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Cynthia Handel Sent: Thursday, July 06, 2006 4:44 PM To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: Re: Camera That Talks I understand that there's supposed to be some improvement in reading curved surfaces, in future software upgrades of the KNFB Reader. Cindy ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ham Steve" <k8sp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Thursday, July 06, 2006 7:35 PM Subject: Re: Camera That Talks Charles, I think this isn't a real workable idea. If one had a camera such as the NFB Reader, which operates by taking a picture of a page from about sixteen inches away, depending on material, there wouldn't be the immediate feedback which we have in an optacon. This was the main drawback to Oleg's P2RD machine, IMO. YOu could not easily scan an image and look for certain areas without zooming in and retaking the picture, if it were possible to do. A second delay in the KNFB implementation is that there is about an eight second delay from when you snap the pictyure until it goes through its auto-focusing routine and actually snaps the picture. Yes, it will read some rounded containers; probably a 90 degree swath, not really sure on how wide of a band it will read, but it can't be much wider than that. Steve Lansing, MI ----- Original Message ----- From: "Charles Pond" <dg140@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Thursday, July 06, 2006 4:48 PM Subject: Re: Camera That Talks > rather than simply rebuilding the optacon using the original circuit > designs with today's technology, it might be sensible to build a > USB-compatible tactile array in a box with the needed controls, and plug > it into something like this "camera that talks". I other words, alter and > refine oleg's readiog machine-based approach. Does it make sense to > re-develop a stand-alone optacon? From what I am piecing together over > time of how the optacon R1D and II work (here a little, there a little), > and with today's technology, it would seem feasible to build an optacon > about the size of a cassette tape case or thereabouts. (maybe not > including battery?) > > Charles > > > To unsubscribe at any time, just send a message to: > > optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" (without the > quotes) in the message subject. > > Tell your friends about the list. They can subscribe by sending a message > to: > > optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "subscribe" (without the > quotes) in the message subject. > > To unsubscribe at any time, just send a message to: optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" (without the quotes) in the message subject. Tell your friends about the list. They can subscribe by sending a message to: optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "subscribe" (without the quotes) in the message subject. To unsubscribe at any time, just send a message to: optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" (without the quotes) in the message subject. Tell your friends about the list. They can subscribe by sending a message to: optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "subscribe" (without the quotes) in the message subject. To unsubscribe at any time, just send a message to: optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" (without the quotes) in the message subject. Tell your friends about the list. They can subscribe by sending a message to: optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "subscribe" (without the quotes) in the message subject. To unsubscribe at any time, just send a message to: optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" (without the quotes) in the message subject. Tell your friends about the list. They can subscribe by sending a message to: optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "subscribe" (without the quotes) in the message subject.