Camera phones for low vision users?
Can camera phones be used as portable image enhancers for low vision users? The short, medium, and long answer is YES. Whether by downloaded phone software or server-based image processing, these cheap devices may power the next generation of low vision aids.
Ergodex customizable keyboard
This keyboard lets you position individual keys where you want them, and assign meanings to them. They don’t seem to be aware of any accessibility uses, so send them some email.
Prototype keyboard with LCD keys
That’s right, the keys themselves are small color displays. Imagine the possibilities for programmable keyboards, with animated icons or just high legibility letters….
Touchless paper towel dispenser
Well, this isn’t information technology, but it’s pretty cool nonetheless. And when was the last time we saw such an interesting intersection of the germophobe and manual dexterity impaired market segments?
Nokia 7280 – o boy…
… trouble ahead. Nokia released a wireless phone with no keypad. You dial by rotating your finger on the Navi Spinner, a donut-shaped flush control like the one on the iPod. There are only 5 keys, and 2 of them are softkeys. Will this make dialing hard? You bet. You have to hld down the select key while spinning the Navi Spinner for each digit. And volume control requires you to navigate through menus, then use the Navi Spinner. Yikes! The handset is pretty, with an unusual shape like a roll of square hard candies. It weighs less than 3 ounces. But access for blind, low vision, and dexterity impaired folks is gonna be limited.
Send SMS text messages to wireline phones
Sprint PCS now allows you to send a text message to a regular phone line:
Sprint PCS SMS to wireline phone
It’s delivered in synthetic speech. Only a trial: July 12 to October 12, 2005. Any Sprint PCS subscribers around?
ntl provides broadband to special ed. schools in Glasgow
ntl is a large cable company in the UK. They are providing 1 gigabit service to glasgow’s network of special schools:
ntl Media Centre
But we’d like to know more. For example, are they using this bandwidth for sign language communication?