[access-uk] Re: LookTel smartphone software
- From: "George Bell" <george@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 26 Apr 2010 22:42:50 +0100
As Glen has clearly stated, he only has alpha software, which is never
considered anywhere near beta. And a golden rule with any alpha
product is to never, ever, let alpha software out to critical end
users like yourself, or you'll kill it stone dead.
George.
-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Steve Nutt
Sent: 26 April 2010 22:14
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: LookTel smartphone software
Hi Paul,
Interesting that Jackie hasn't seen it yet, so who has seen it who is
VI?
One of my biggest bugbears with any software is that it should be
tested primarily by the target user group.
All the best
Steve
-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Paul Leake
Sent: Monday 26 April 2010 12:10
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: LookTel smartphone software
what about the quality of the voice? what are your visually impaired
staff's
thoughts?
Cheers
Paul
paul.leake@xxxxxxxxxxxx
----- Original Message -----
From: "Glenn Tookey" <Glenn.Tookey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, April 26, 2010 9:20 AM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: LookTel smartphone software
Iphone, not yet, the developers think they have a better interface for
low
vision. Yes, the phone has its own screen reader, which should let you
into
the messages, calls etc. My alpha version does not have all of this
functionality, but it handles the touchscreen in a very clever way
which
makes it really easy to use.
Regards
Glenn
-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of
Steve Nutt
Sent: 26 April 2010 08:04
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: LookTel smartphone software
Hi Will,
You can bet it probably will, although the camera on the iPhone sucks
big
time, so OCR won't work so well.
All the best
Steve
-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of
william lomas
Sent: Monday 26 April 2010 07:21
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: LookTel smartphone software
will it be on iphone s well?
On 26 Apr 2010, at 07:15, Alistair wrote:
> Hi Glen,
>
> this is very helpful, one other question please? Regarding
subscription
payments, will this be from card debit or will bank direct debit be
possible?
>
> Thanks
>
> Alistair
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Glenn Tookey"
<Glenn.Tookey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Monday, April 26, 2010 6:49 AM
> Subject: [access-uk] Re: LookTel smartphone software
>
>
> Hi Alistair,
>
> Yes, it will have its own screen reader which also drives the other
phone
functions. OCR should be up to KNFB standard, Symbian platform after 6
months i'm told. Not sure about GPS detail yet. The idea is to have a
high
quality all in one package that does not need the user to buy other
products
to make it work, such as a screen reader. The functionality is still
taking
shape.
>
> Regards
> Glenn
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf
Of Alistair
> Sent: 25 April 2010 21:24
> To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [access-uk] Re: LookTel smartphone software
>
> Hi Glen,
>
> some questions:
>
> Will this be self-voicing?
>
> will the gprs be similar to wayfinder?
>
> Will the OCR be like bayo or KNFB?
>
> will it be ever available on the Symbian platform?
>
> I can see the benifit of purchasing one all-in-one package but only
if the
> quality and performance is compatible.
>
> Alistair
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Glenn Tookey" <Glenn.Tookey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Sunday, April 25, 2010 8:48 PM
> Subject: [access-uk] Re: LookTel smartphone software
>
>
> I guess it has to be put into perspective. Products in this market
tend to
> be one off payments of £750 or more, so you can have 30 months at
£25 a
> month, and you do not have to pay up front. Often people buy
upgrades in
> that sort of timeframe so the outlay for this type of product could
be
lower
> across the lifetime of the user and it is easier to actually get
into as
you
> do not have to find a large sum to start with.
>
> As with everything, it does not suit everybody. Some people would
happily
> pay thousands for technology, others do not want or need it. There
are
many
> ways to find out what is in your larder, LookTel is just one way.
There
are
> many ways to find out where you are when you are out, LookTel is
just
> another method.
>
> When I came into the industry I wanted to find ways of using
technology to
> benefit this group of people, we search high and low for the best
> technologies then offer them to the market, the market will decide
if it
is
> good value or not.
>
> We also wanted to introduce subscription models so that people on
limited
> incomes can pay as they go for products. LookTel will be priced at
around
> the level of a mobile phones service and less than Sky.
>
> So, when it is ready, we will bring it to market and let the market
decide
> if it is good value or not. We will certainly do all we can to drive
the
> price down as far as we can.
>
> Regards
> Glenn
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf
Of
> Paul Leake
> Sent: 25 April 2010 18:31
> To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [access-uk] Re: LookTel smartphone software
>
> Glen,
>
> i'd be interested in what current blind and visually impaired
employees of
> sight and sound make of this product rather than the manufacturers'
> perspective! £25 a month sounds overpriced too I think.
>
> Cheers
>
> Paul
>
> paul.leake@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Glenn Tookey" <Glenn.Tookey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Sunday, April 25, 2010 12:45 PM
> Subject: [access-uk] LookTel smartphone software
>
>
> Hi
>
> Sight and Sound Technology will be the exclusive provider of the
LookTel
> service when it launches in the UK, we are hoping that to be in June
time
-
> but not confirmed yet.
>
> Firstly, it will be a monthly subscription service - around £25
(again not
> finalised). We are not sure of it will have OCR or GPS at launch.
>
> Secondly, it is more than just taking pictures, it is a full object
> recognition device. It means that once you have trained the mobile
to
> recognise something - say a can of Heinz Baked Beans or Tomato Soup
or
> currency... then whenever it is in recognition mode (live video over
the
> internet) to its base station (normally your home PC) it will
announce to
> you what it has seen when you point it at an object. This will be
very
> useful in the home or outside. It takes a minute or two to snap the
images
> that you want to recognise and then you are away. At a later stage
we will
> have bar code reading on it, so then you will be able to go into a
> supermarket and find products from bar code.
>
> The GPS is coupled with live video / audio feed so that an assistant
could
> guide you if you are lost. You can nominate more than one assistant
who
can
> log into your base station and help with recognition, training of
object,
> location etc. We are considering extending this to the Sight and
Sound
help
> desk so that you could call us if you need some assistance.
>
> It will recognise more than just products, it will also recognise
faces
and
> even places ( buildings) if you snap enough images to that they can
be
> recognised later.
>
> Like all of these type of products, they are not infallible, but we
have
> been working with the developers for over 6 months (as have 200
blind
people
> in USA)to make it the type of service that really gives independence
and
> mobility to those with low vision. I have one working in the UK, it
does
not
> use much of my data package on my mobile, so it will not be
expensive -
> currently on a windows mobile phone, but the range of phones will
expand
> over the first 6 months.
>
> Products such as the KNFB reader still have their own place as does
> Wayfinder, they all do a good job - Looktel is taking advantage of
the
> advances in recognition technology and the increase in computing
power of
> mobile phones. We want to be at the forefront of technology,
bringing the
> best of the best to the UK market. Looktel is the next step.
>
> Watch out for more information, I'm hoping that we will be up and
running
> for Sight Village.
>
> Regards
> Glenn Tookey
> CEO
> Sight and Sound Technology
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf
Of
> Barry Hill
> Sent: 25 April 2010 11:04
> To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [access-uk] Re: LookTel smartphone software
>
> Thanks for this, Peter.
>
> Sounnds good, although I can already do all this with my own mobile
to a
> large extent. It's got K-NFB reader on it for the OCR, Wayfinder
for the
> positioning, and a camera phone that I can send photo's to a friend.
Not
> quite the live video feed, but I reckon it could work just as well.
>
> Cheers
>
> Barry
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Peter Beasley" <pjbeasley@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Sunday, April 25, 2010 10:46 AM
> Subject: [access-uk] LookTel smartphone software
>
>
> I got this from an american list I am subscribed to so have no idea
if or
> when it willbe available in this country.
>
> We offer the following information, but caution that this is
currently in
> beta. Unfortunately,
> as with most software of this type, it's quite expensive. This is
all the
> information
> we currently have available.
> A Smartphone that Sees For You
> Software from LookTel on a Windows-based smartphone uses "augmented
reality"
> to help
> the vision-impaired and elderly
> By:
> Sean Gallagher
> April 23, 2010
> Leave a comment
> Source: LookTel
> This video
> shows some of the ways the LookTel application can help people with
visual
> and other
> handicaps.
> A new set of software that works with relatively inexpensive smart
phones
> could help
> visually disabled people and the elderly. Using a technology called
> "augmented reality",
> the software can help people by recognizing text, objects and
places.
> Augmented Reality, or AR, uses location and visual information from
a
camera
> to supply
> a smartphone user with extra information about their surroundings.
For an
> introduction
> to AR, you can take a look at
> my hands-on with Spyglass
> , the augmented reality navigation application.
> LookTel
> takes AR technology and applies it to a very real problem. It was
developed
> by
> Ipplex
> , in partnership with the National Institutes of Health, the
National Eye
> Institute,
> the Department of Veterans Affairs and a research organization for
aides
for
> the
> blind, to help people who can't see well or may become disoriented.
> The Windows Mobile application uses character recognition technology
and a
> voice
> synthesizer to read labels to the smartphone user. All that
processing
can't
> be
> done on the smartphone, so character and object recognition software
are
> part of
> LookTel's "base station" software, which runs on a Windows-based
home
> computer. You
> can also add coded labels to objects , as this
> YouTube demonstration
> shows, and associate those labels with voice descriptions of objects
you
put
> them
> on.
> The app also can connect a user to a real person for assistance by
> connecting back
> to the application's Windows PC-based "base station" software:
> For more complicated visual tasks such as locating a specific street
corner
> or bus
> stop, LookTel enables you to remotely connect to another person for
> assistance. Not
> only can you talk to them, but you can also transmit live video from
the
> cell phone's
> camera so that they can see your surroundings and help you with
orientation,
> recognizing
> objects and media, and more. Your position will also be shown to
them on
> Google Maps
> using the GPS services available on smart phones. These services aim
to
help
> users
> to independently go about daily activities with the confidence that
they
> will have
> the assistance they need anytime, anywhere.
> LookTel is currently in testing, and is available on pre-configured
HTC
> smartphones
> and mobile Internet devices. Ipplex hasn't published the pricing for
the
> technology,
> but is offering it at a discount during testing.
> Original Article Source
> http://www.techgoesstrong.com/smartphone-sees-you
> LookTel Website
> http://www.looktel.com/
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william lomas
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