[accessibleimage] braille display

PRESS RELEASE

February 4, 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BRAILLE DISPLAYS ARE TOO EXPENSIVE!
Peter Duran, VP Sales & Marketing
Tactile Dynamics, Inc.
110 Commerce Drive, Suite 210
Fayetteville, GA  30214
Toll Free:  877-993-4994 
E-mail:  [ mailto:comments@xxxxxxxxxxx ]comments@xxxxxxxxxxx

Save your money!  Don't buy a single-line braille display when you can
have access to a multi-line or full-page braille display in the near
future.

Single-line braille displays are still too expensive even though two of
the leaders in braille technology recently announced price reductions. 
Freedom Scientific announced 2 new Focus refreshable braille displays: 
Focus 40 with 40 braille cells at $3,495 and Focus 80 with 80 braille
cells at $6,995.  Freedom Scientific also announced lower prices for its
PAC Mate 20 and 40 braille displays: PAC Mate 20 with 20 braille cells at
$1400 and PAC Mate 40 with 40 braille cells at $3200.  Optelec announced 2
new braille displays:  Braille Voyager 44 with 44 braille cells at $3,495
and the Braille Voyager 70 with 70 braille cells at $5,995.  Moreover,
current braille display technology offers minimal text presentation ? a
major drawback of all refreshable braille displays currently on the market.

Fortunately, Tactile Dynamics, Inc. (TDI) has a solution to both problems.
 With its recently patented refreshable braille display technology (US
Patent #6819228) TDI will lower prices significantly and radically
increase the amount of text displayed.  This revolutionary new technology
makes multi-line and full-page braille displays feasible and truly
affordable.  TDI will initially offer two text-only refreshable braille
displays (trbd's).

Braille Messenger(TM):  A trbd for 6- and 8-dot braille with display area
20 characters wide by 6 or 5 rows high ? able to display 120 characters in
6-dot format or 100 characters in 8-dot format ? priced at $2,650. 
Braille device manufacturers can bundle this trbd with their proprietary
software and hardware (via a USB 2.0 port connection) to provide devices
suitable for refreshable braille text messages.

Braille Book Reader(TM):  A trbd for 6- and 8-dot braille with display
area 40 characters wide by 25 or 21 rows high ? able to display 1000
characters in 6-dot format or 820 characters in 8-dot format ? priced at
$5,260.  Braille device manufacturers and DAISY book developers can bundle
this trbd with their proprietary software and hardware (via a USB 2.0 port
connection) to provide computer output devices and full-page braille book
readers.

These 2 trbd's will permit manufacturers of assistive technology to offer
innovative products with affordable braille text displays.  They will  
encourage mainstream manufacturers of appliances, cell phones, etc. to
provide braille add-ons to their products.
TDI will present a paper on this innovative braille technology at the 2005
CSUN Conference.  Here are the conference details:

Conference Dates and Locations:
March 14-19, 2005 at the Hilton Los Angeles Airport and the Los Angeles
Airport Marriott Hotels

Paper Presentation Schedule and Location:
Session ID:  C05G2179
Title:  Portable Full-Page Braille & Tactile Graphics Display
Presenter:  Larry Jenkins
Day/Date:  Friday, March 18, 2005
Start Time: 3:20 PM; End Time: 3:50 PM
Location:  Los Angeles Airport Marriott Hotel, Denver Room
www.csun.edu/cod


Please forward this announcement to any pertinent Internet lists,
newsgroups, braille advocacy groups, foundations, or potential braille
product developers.  Urge your braille vendor to contact us about reseller
participation.

You may get further details about TDI's braille technology by sending an
e-mail to [ mailto:comments@xxxxxxxxxxx ]comments@xxxxxxxxxxxx  Put "trbd"
in the subject line.



Lisa Yayla
Huseby Kompetansesenter 
Oslo Norway
lisa.yayla@xxxxxxxxxx

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