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LookTel has cooked up some fine text and object recognition software designed specifically for the blind. By using a smartphone’s camera, LookTel can analyze a full magazine article and read it out loud, read out which boxes are in a blind person’s pantry, or even which stores they’re facing when out on the street. Navigating the app itself is facilitated by audio notifications while gesturing over the control areas on the screen, which are then opened with a double-tap, although there is also voice recognition available to launch apps without any touch input. Custom voice notes can also be applied to particular objects with the help of physical tags, and even if the software alone can’t help blind folks out, LookTel allows the user to transmit video to someone else live who will be able to talk them through whatever help they need. The GPS location is shared at the same time, allowing the helper to better contextualize the situation. Man, screw seeing-eye dogs, all you need is a phone now, although I find it hard to believe the blind would favour a touchscreen device rather than something with a physical keyboard – Stevie Wonder certainly doesn’t think so.
LookTel is most similar to Google Goggles, but unfortunately the only hardware LookTel will work on is the Touch Pro2. Still, this is the best app I’ve seen in the accessibility field in a long time, I just hope it will get broader platform support soon. For a closer look and information on pricing and their closed beta, visit LookTel. If you’re in the market for more blind-friendly products, Nokia has an app in the works,
[via TechCrunch]
About The Author
Simon Sage
Simon Sage’s education largely surrounded writing, technology and online community, leading him to begin his blogging career at www.BlackBerryCool.com and to quickly discover a vibrant and active community surrounding BlackBerry and mobile technology. In exploring RIM’s platform, he has learned what enterprises are looking for in mobility as well as what makes the innocuous BlackBerry so appealing to them. Recently Simon’s been covering RIM’s gradual move into an already-crowded consumer market, and the impact of burgeoning challengers, such as the iPhone, as well as long-time leaders, like Nokia, on BlackBerry’s advancement. With plenty of content under his belt, Simon will be branching off a bit to see what other smartphone manufacturers are working on while still using BlackBerry as a barometer. At IntoMobile, you can count on his posts being even-handed, well-informed and thought-out.
