Two new technologies, including Livescribe’s touch-activated Pulse Smartpen (above) and the text-to-speech reader WebAnywhere, are helping the blind community gain new access to information.
— Bryn Nelson"; Tech_Frontiers_Blind_080714[i++] = new Array("","Pulse Smartpen","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080709/080714-Blind1-hmed.hmedium.jpg","","Image: Pulse Smartpen and notebook", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Courtesy Andy Van Schaack/Livescribe", "273", "294", "#000000", "", "", "", ""); Tech_Frontiers_Blind_080714[i-1].body = "Pulse Smartpen
The Pulse Smartpen recognizes handwriting through a small infrared camera at its tip that focuses on millions of tiny dots printed on every page of a special notebook. When a note taker taps the image of a record button on a control strip along the bottom of every notebook page, twin microphones on the pen synchronize the notes to whatever is being said at the time — a feature that researchers believe could open new doors for blind students.
";
Tech_Frontiers_Blind_080714[i++] = new Array("","An aid for blind students","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080709/080714-Blind5-hmed.hmedium.jpg","","Image: Andrew Van Schaack", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Courtesy of Vanderbilt University", "273", "182", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
Tech_Frontiers_Blind_080714[i-1].body = "An aid for blind students
Vanderbilt University lecturer Andrew Van Schaack, shown demonstrating the smartpen in a classroom setting, says the technology could be a boon to blind students taking science, technology, engineering or math classes that rely heavily on charts, maps and other graphic-rich information. By syncing the audio explanation from a professor or teaching assistant to elements of a graphic, students could refer back to audio labels when reviewing their notes. The smartpen also allows layering of information: tapping a graphic once could provide general information, with a more detailed audio explanation provided by tapping it twice."; Tech_Frontiers_Blind_080714[i++] = new Array("","WebAnywhere","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080709/080714-Blind2-hmed.hmedium.jpg","","Image: WebAnywhere", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Courtesy of University of Washington", "273", "333", "#000000", "", "", "", ""); Tech_Frontiers_Blind_080714[i-1].body = "WebAnywhere
A free text-to-speech reader called WebAnywhere processes the text on an external server before sending the audio file back to whichever Web browser is in use. Because blind people don’t have to install any screen-reading software to use the program, they can easily access unfamiliar computers in libraries, schools, airport kiosks and other public places.
";
Tech_Frontiers_Blind_080714[i++] = new Array("","Anticipating a user's needs","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080709/080714-Blind3-hmed.hmedium.jpg","","Image: man checking his e-mail", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Courtesy of University of Washington", "273", "410", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
Tech_Frontiers_Blind_080714[i-1].body = "Anticipating a user's needs
Once someone connects to the Web-based service, like this man checking his e-mail, WebAnywhere can act as a conduit for a specific URL or as a search engine. One of the software’s key features is its ability to anticipate what the user may want to read, retrieve it ahead of time, and cache it on the computer browser to minimize the time needed to convert the text to speech read aloud by an electronic voice, which the user can then listen to via headphones."; Tech_Frontiers_Blind_080714[i++] = new Array("","Early tests","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080709/080714-Blind4-hmed.hmedium.jpg","","Image: Screenshot of bus timetable", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Courtesy of University of Washington", "273", "340", "#000000", "", "", "", ""); Tech_Frontiers_Blind_080714[i-1].body = "Early tests
In initial tests, blind Web surfers have successfully used WebAnywhere for reading their e-mail, looking up a phone number, and retrieving bus schedule information, like this table of departure times for various Seattle bus routes. Underscoring the demand for such a screen reader, the program’s developers already have fielded dozens of inquiries and requests for extra features and foreign language versions from countries such as China, Portugal, and India."; // END editorial data