KNFB Reader and other stuff
OK folks, I'm a beta tester for the new Kurzweil-National Federation of the Blind Reader! The Reader is basically a PDA with a digital camera on the back. They are two separate units because nothing has a built-in camera that has high enough resolution, apparently. Anyway, you can shoot pictures of things and then use the PDA to perform OCR (Optical Character Recognition) on the pictures. I've used it to read handouts, business cards, and labels. I tried a menu with mixed success. Others have apparently gotten good results. I think I'll try some book pages tomorrow. I get to keep this machine for six or eight weeks or so. I'm saving lots of the things I scan, because the machine also saves the pictures, and the developers can use these together tith the text to make improvements to the software. It's amazing to think I could take this machine into a library and access a book without leaving the premises. It's not perfect yet, and in many cases, a traditional scanner or a sighted person would be more efficient. But neither of these can be stored in a purse! :)
Also, I need suggestions for a new blog name! I'm stumped! I need to change it after hearing about the VA state employee (or maybe he worked for a city--not sure) who was forced to resign for typing, "Martinsville: Easy to leave" in his blog. Please comment with suggestions, but refrain from commenting on the, uh, unique priorities of our government. :)
And now, a "blogthing":
You Are a Seeker Soul
You are on a quest for knowledge and life challenges.
You love to be curious and ask a ton of questions.
Since you know so much, you make for an interesting conversationalist.
Mentally alert, you can outwit almost anyone (and have fun doing it!).
Very introspective, you can be silently critical of others.
And your quiet nature makes it difficult for people to get to know you.
You see yourself as a philosopher, and you take everything philosophically.
Your main talent is expressing and communicating ideas.
Souls you are most compatible with: Hunter Soul and Visionary Soul
What Kind of Soul Are You?
Hmm. Makes sense.
Today was fun. I went to lunch with my former driver, and on the way back, we stopped by the holistic pet store, which now apparently has a bakery in the back! I got Glaze some yummy muffin-like treats--still celebrating her birthday.
No news yet on the ebay front. Did you know you can actually call them? It's true, but if you press the button to speak to customer service, they tell you to go online and have a nice day; then they hang up on you. If you ask for the operator, you can eventually get transferred to customer service, where the guy will tell you hhe can't do anything for you on the phone, despite the fact that you're calling because the web site is inaccessible. Ah well...I don't know how, but I *am* going to make them change my email address!
Also, I need suggestions for a new blog name! I'm stumped! I need to change it after hearing about the VA state employee (or maybe he worked for a city--not sure) who was forced to resign for typing, "Martinsville: Easy to leave" in his blog. Please comment with suggestions, but refrain from commenting on the, uh, unique priorities of our government. :)
And now, a "blogthing":
You Are a Seeker Soul
You are on a quest for knowledge and life challenges.
You love to be curious and ask a ton of questions.
Since you know so much, you make for an interesting conversationalist.
Mentally alert, you can outwit almost anyone (and have fun doing it!).
Very introspective, you can be silently critical of others.
And your quiet nature makes it difficult for people to get to know you.
You see yourself as a philosopher, and you take everything philosophically.
Your main talent is expressing and communicating ideas.
Souls you are most compatible with: Hunter Soul and Visionary Soul
What Kind of Soul Are You?
Hmm. Makes sense.
Today was fun. I went to lunch with my former driver, and on the way back, we stopped by the holistic pet store, which now apparently has a bakery in the back! I got Glaze some yummy muffin-like treats--still celebrating her birthday.
No news yet on the ebay front. Did you know you can actually call them? It's true, but if you press the button to speak to customer service, they tell you to go online and have a nice day; then they hang up on you. If you ask for the operator, you can eventually get transferred to customer service, where the guy will tell you hhe can't do anything for you on the phone, despite the fact that you're calling because the web site is inaccessible. Ah well...I don't know how, but I *am* going to make them change my email address!