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[access-uk] Re: TALKING PICTURES

From: "Ian Macrae" <ian.macrae@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 2 Aug 2006 15:57:37 +0100
Points taken Tristram.  However, to begin with the simplistic approach, which I 
accept may not be a good place to start, the constituent parts, namely a PDA 
and a Digital Camera, even a relatively high end one, are both products which 
have come within the pockets of many individuals who probably have both.  And 
their aggregate price comes nowhere near the cost of the KNFB.  Surely the 
potential global market for something like this must be much bigger than might 
be thought at first glance, particularly if it was priced at a point which 
brought it into the financial reach of more people.  And then, if the likes of 
the Gates Trust could be persuaded to give it a leg up, who knows what might be 
possible.     

-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of 
Tristram Llewellyn
Sent: 02 August 2006 15:50
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: TALKING PICTURES

"I know to well that fairness doesn't enter into the equation of the pricing of 
commercially produced products, even when a US charity/VI rights group is 
involved, as appears to be the case here."

A charity like NFB should I think at least be applauded for being brave enough 
to have some involvement to push research in the direction of users needs.  
Likewise Kurzweil incorporated and others will have trouble convincing venture 
capitalists to make the investment required in a product that would have a 
limited market and therefore would take longer to get the payback.  Investment 
from interested groups means a project like this actually gets off the ground 
at all.  Whilst such resources can be made available It may however not have 
the resources to plough in such that production units can be produced at 
anything below a commercially viable price, notwithstanding addional costs of 
servicing users etc.  The other aproach would be to not get involved with any 
research on that basis bringing everybody closer to the same notional level, 
and leave the desires of users to coincide (or not as the casse may be) with 
the free market to provide for the needs of a particular small and specialised 
group.

Regards.

Tristram Llewellyn
Sight and Sound Technology
Technical Support
www.sightandsound.co.uk

----- Original Message -----
From: Ray's Home
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Wednesday, August 02, 2006 2:53 PM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: TALKING PICTURES


Agreed Tristram, and if its thought that I believe a truly portable, on the 
move, ocr reading device could be had for a couple of hundred quid, then I'd 
like it known that I definitely do not think that price tag will will ever 
be seen for something like the KNFB device.

If it were to come in for less than 2k then I would think that would be a 
price that begins to look more affordable and, dare I say it 'fair' although 
I know to well that fairness doesn't enter into the equation of the pricing 
of commercially produced products, even when a US charity/VI rights group is 
involved, as appears to be the case here.

From Ray
I can be contacted off-list at:
mailto:ray-48@xxxxxxxx
-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of 
Tristram Llewellyn
Sent: 01 August 2006 4:20PM

The problem of being able to OCR from a picture taken with a normal camera 
like in the KNFB Reader has occupied some very clever people in Kurzweils 
research arm for quite a number of years in researching and developing this 
technology.  Whilst it is almost inneviable that others may try to get into 
this market you are not very likely to find a £200 competitor to what has 
only just presently been brought to market this year in the form of KNFB 
reader in the very immediate future.

Regards.

Tristram Llewellyn
Sight and Sound Technology
Technical Support
www.sightandsound.co.uk

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Chipmunks
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, August 01, 2006 2:07 PM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: TALKING PICTURES


I think a little while ago, I read about a phone being marketed in
Korea came with ocr. Of course, I have no idea how it compares to the
Kurzweil Reader.

Doris

At 01:49 PM 8/1/2006 +0100, you wrote:

>Just had a look at the KNFB portable reader and it's very
>impressive.  However, a sighted colleague has raised an interesting
>point.  If we have phones which can talk and which have cameras on
>them, how long will it be and what would it take before they can do
>the same thing at a much smaller cost?  Any thoughts?
>
>http://www.bbc.co.uk/ 


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Follow-Ups:

[access-uk] Re: TALKING PICTURES
From: Ray's Home

[access-uk] Re: TALKING PICTURES
From: Tristram Llewellyn
References:
- [access-uk] Re: TALKING PICTURES
  - From: Tristram Llewellyn
[access-uk] Re: TALKING PICTURES

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