Last updated on September 20, 2017
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Welcome to episode number 13 of Life After Blindness! This week I am joined by Shaun Preece from the RNIB Tech Talk podcast.
First we discuss a new iPhone app from Microsoft called Seeing AI. This app can be used to scan documents, spot read text, scan barcodes, recognize objects as well as be used as a camera with face recognition.Then we discuss AIRA and the impact that the service has had on the blind and visually impaired community.
Next, we discuss a new pair of binaural 3-D headphones called Hooke Verse Audio. When used with an app on your smart phone, these Bluetooth headphones with built-in microphone’s promise an amazing 3-D recording.
We also talk about a new product from Canada called Key 2 Access. Used as either a pocket sized device or an app on your iPhone, the service will allow you to request an audible crosswalk signal without having to find the button on a pole.
Shaun then tells me everything he knows about the highly anticipated Orbit Braille Reader. This product has been a long time coming but seems to be living up to the hype.
The last product that Shaun and I talk about this week is the new Victor Reader Trek from Humanware. This device combines all the book reading functionality of the Victor Reader Stream with the GPS capabilities of the formerly discontinued Trekker Breeze. We continue a conversation that started on the RNIB Tech talk podcast where we discuss whether there is still a use case for a device like this or not if you are already using a smart phone.
We finish the podcast by discussing efforts made by the NFB to make sure that blind people are included in future legislation involving self driving vehicles. On July 19, the NFB spoke to the House Energy and Commerce committee in order to make sure that legislation going forward would include accessibility for the blind and visually impaired.
Thank you for listening to episode number 13 of the Life After Blindness podcast! Please return next week so that together we can continue this journey to find that there truly can be a Life After Blindness.
