The Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) annual conference, held each January in Orlando, is referred to by many in the assistive technology field as the unofficial start to the conference season. It's often a company's first chance to debut new products, show prototypes, or just exchange ideas with others. And while this year's conference wasn't brimming with new technology, there were several new products on display that are worth discussing. Here's an overview of a few products that caught our attention.
A New Smart Beetle Braille Display from HIMS
With the ATIA conference primarily focused on educational sessions for teachers and rehabilitation counselors, it seems only appropriate that HIMS would seize the moment to debut its new 14-cell Smart Beetle braille display. It's so-named because it can be connected simultaneously to up to six devices at once, including five Bluetooth and one USB. In other words, one could connect an iPhone, Android tablet, Windows computer, and two Macs and still have an extra slot to spare.
The idea of simultaneous connections originated with Baum's VarioUltra, a larger display announced last year. While Baum's display is available in 20- and 40-cell models, the Smart Beetle is the first 14-cell display to include these features.
Switching between devices is accomplished by pressing a hotkey on the display itself, and takes place within a second or two. As for construction, the display felt durable to the touch, despite having a plastic housing. A case for the display is also available and recommended for those who will be using the unit while on the go, which is exactly the type of people HIMS is targeting with this model. It'll be available in early spring for $1,299.
A New Blaze with a Keypad
Keeping a much lower profile in the HIMS booth was the second of the Blaze portable DAISY players that also include optical character recognition. Unlike the original Blaze EZ, which included a simplified key layout, the Blaze ET features a telephone keypad design similar to the BookSense models. This allows for easier use of some applications such as a calculator and dictionary.
The Blaze ET was being shown as an early prototype, so many of the features were not yet available for testing. HIMS experienced some initial delays in shipping the Blaze EZ and is still working with the National Library Service to finalize support for downloadable book titles, so they are being understandably cautious with the release of this model. The unit will retail for $795, but no release date was given. Keep this one in the back of your mind for when it's released later on. Dave Wilkinson from HIMS discusses both of these items in an interview recorded at ATIA for Blind Bargains.
The New VOXbox, an All-in-One Reading Machine from Reinecker Vision
Speaking of books, Reinecker Vision was demonstrating a new simplified reading machine designed especially for those who primarily use audio. The VOXbox is an all-in-one box that consists of a small minitower in the back and a camera arm that extends out to take a picture of text. The unit is controlled by a small wired remote that has several tactile buttons to start and stop reading, control the rate of speech, or change voices or languages. In a quick test of the machine, it took about six seconds for a page of text to begin reading after pressing the button to take a picture.
For low-vision users, a screen can be attached to display text, which would enable basic highlighting and contrast adjustment features. After spending a few minutes with the unit, it was evident the design aims for simplicity in form and function as opposed to the inclusion of features that many users would never need or care for. Pricing information will be announced at the CSUN conference in March.
Freedom Scientific's Topaz PHD Portable Video Magnifier and Optelec's New ClearView C Desktop Video Magnifier
Video magnifiers traditionally have been available in two major categories: desktop CCTVs with large monitors that are a bit unwieldy to move around, and handheld video magnifiers with 3- to 5-inch screens that can enlarge text and provide simple adjustments to brightness and color. More recently, a new type of magnifier has been gaining traction, offering the flexibility of a desktop unit with the portability of a handheld.
Freedom Scientific's Topaz PHD is one of this newer breed of magnifiers. Unfolded, it features a 12- or 15-inch display that operates like a traditional CCTV. An optional X-Y table, traditionally used to move around a printed page, sets into the base of the unit. The entire package folds down into a case that resembles an oversized laptop case, and can be carried in the included messenger bag. The 12-inch model weighs approximately 8.5 pounds and can be easily carried over the shoulder.
In addition to its portability, the Topaz PHD features an SD card slot for storing images, a removable battery that lasts for approximately four hours, and a front-facing camera. It's also compatible with the optional GEM Image Management Software, a $295 add-on that allows for split-screen image viewing and image manipulation. Pricing starts at $2,095 for the 12-inch model and $2,295 for the 15-inch model, with shipping anticipated to start in March.
In related news, Optelec demonstrated its new ClearView C desktop video magnifier. As Optelec's President Stephan Terwolbeck explained to me, the magnifier gets its name from its shape, which is designed to better accommodate larger items, like newspapers, that normally bump up against the backs of other units. The new ClearView is shaped like a C with the arm on the left side, allowing for more unrestricted movement and flexibility in reading a variety of documents. Prices range from $2,895 for the basic model to $3,995 for their most advanced model with OCR and text-to-speech capabilities. The ClearView C is available now.
A Big Change for Window-Eyes
AI Squared, which now also includes the products of the former GW Micro, demonstrated version 9 of its venerable Window-Eyes screen reader—the biggest update since scripting support was added a few years ago. The biggest change revolves around the handling of complex websites and webpages, including rich Internet applications and dynamic content.
While most of the commands for interacting with webpages have remained the same, spoken information is now provided based on the real time, live page, as opposed to a stored pre-loaded copy of the page as was done previously. Window-Eyes 9 excels on modern websites like Facebook and with many of the Google services such as Docs. There is now no need to enter a separate table mode when encountering a table on a webpage. Instead, table navigation commands can be activated directly from the page, allowing for a seamless experience. The current Web support extends to Internet Explorer and Firefox, with support for more browsers planned in the near future.
Version 9 includes a host of additional changes including a recovery mode to avoid times where the computer becomes silent, increased responsiveness, and more direct keyboard integration. Anyone who has accidentally pressed a key that changes their monitor to an upside-down view will appreciate this latter point. The product also includes enhanced support for the accounting package QuickBooks, thanks in large part to its partnership with MyBlindSpot.
With the merger of Ai Squared and GW Micro now largely complete, it appears that early steps are being taken to offer some cohesion between Window-Eyes and Ai Squared's ZoomText magnification suite. Many users wish to make the transition from magnification to speech, and having a single platform that supports the transition from ZoomText to Window-Eyes would be a welcome addition. It's worth noting that it has taken several years for Freedom Scientific to offer some symmetry between the JAWS screen reader and the MAGic screen enlargement package, so it'll likely take some time for any integrations to come to fruition.
Window-Eyes 9 is available now and retails for $895. Users of Microsoft Office 2010, 2013, and Office Online can still obtain a free copy of Window-Eyes through Ai Squared's partnership with Microsoft. You can learn more by listening to this interview with Ai Squared's Jeremy Curry.
Voice Dream Writer: A New Text Editor for the iPhone
Voice Dream Reader has long been one of the most popular apps on the iPhone and iPad for reading a variety of formats. Now, Voice Dream has moved into the world of text editing with Voice Dream Writer. The recently-released program includes several features in an attempt to set it apart from other text editors and built-in apps.
Voice Dream Writer's focus is on simplified navigation and proofing, which is made evident by the built-in spell-checking feature. Here you can move through misspellings word by word and input corrections. A phonetic spell search feature is useful for times where you might know how a word sounds but are unsure of how to spell it. The developer has also tackled other situations where VoiceOver has typically come up short, including ways for quickly selecting and copying text, and enhanced navigational controls. In addition, if you are a user of Voice Dream Reader, any purchased voices can also be used for the writer app without the need to repurchase them. Voice Dream Writer is available now from the iTunes App Store for $9.99.
NFC Signs from Signaids
Signaids has been producing accessible braille signage for many years. Now, they've added an additional feature that can benefit those who don't read braille or who wish to gain additional information about a sign. This is accomplished using a technology known as near field communication (NFC) along with an Android smartphone or tablet. Signs using the technology bear a raised NFC tag ion the bottom right corner. One simply touches their phone to this tag to hear information related to the sign or location spoken, such as the sign's text, or directory information.
What really stood out about the company was the cost of the technology, an extra dollar per sign. We've seen other systems designed to provide accessible information cost hundreds of dollars for a very basic implementation.
This system uses a free app and service in conjunction with the aforementioned tags to provide a very affordable option. The biggest hang-up currently is lack of support for the iPhone. This is currently due to restrictions placed by Apple on the NFC technology that is used to read the tags from the signs. The company is hopeful that Apple will allow for such uses in the future.
There are still a lot of ideas floating around when it comes to creating access to navigational information and travel tools, and Signaids seemed very open-minded to feedback and ideas for potential uses. The signs themselves start at around $20.
Conclusion
The exhibit hall included over 100 booths this year, and it's impossible to cover them all in one article. Hopefully this overview will give you an idea of some of the latest trends in assistive technology and the products or types of products that might be on the horizon. ATIA is the first major conference of the new year, and often where companies start to dip their toes in the water when it comes to new products and concepts. It's often seen as a precursor to the annual CSUN conference, presented each March in San Diego and the largest conference for technology and disabilities in the world. Be sure to follow AccessWorld for more conference news and reviews as the calendar turns toward spring.
