Intel Corp announced that sales are beginning today for the Intel Reader, a $1,500 paperback book-size handheld device that scans printed text and then reads it aloud to the user. The device turns book pages into digital text and MP3s of the text being read in a digitized voice.
According to Intel, 55 million people in the U.S. alone have severe vision problems, dyslexia or other learning disabilities , which make reading printed words difficult or impossible. Ben Foss, Director of Access Technology at Intel’s Digital Health group said, “We want people to experience the independence of being able to read on their own in a public place or anywhere they want to.”
The device uses an Atom processor, 5-megapixel camera, and Intel’s Linux-based Moblin OS. It’s 2GB of storage can hold about 500,000 pages of text; roughly 600 pages of scanned books.
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This looks very cool although the price seems high. The hardware – atom processor, 5mp camera is cheap and it runs on a free OS. This should come down by half if they want to make any kind of dent in those 55 million people this is marketed to.
Good point. Makes you wonder – could there be a medicare payment option for this device?
The text-to-speech software mispronounces dozens of words in the demo. “Reading” was pronounced “ree – ah – ding”. All in all it seems like worse text-to-speech than the onboard t2s capacity of the Kindle.
..which makes you wonder, why is Intel’s device so huge?
(And when the demonstrater the device around his wrist…what’s he trying to show us again? And why exactly is he doing this demo from home? I’m confused)