[Electronics-talk] Samsung Debuts Cellphone Accessories to Help Out Visually Impaired

[Tracy Carcione]

http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/gadgets/samsung-debuts-cellphone-accessories-help-out-visually-impaired-n53106

Samsung Debuts Cellphone Accessories to Help Out Visually Impaired
By Devin Coldewey
Samsung announced a set of cellphone accessories on Friday that may be 
helpful to the visually impaired. The add-ons, for the company's midrange 
Galaxy Core Advance phone, could aid in navigation, reading and note-taking.



SamsungThe fanciest accessory has to be the Ultrasonic Cover, a chunky case 
that uses ultrasonic sound waves to detect the presence of people or objects 
within about 6 feet of the phone. That's useful in unfamiliar areas and for 
spotting items that can't be detected with a cane.

Next is the Optical Scan Stand, which allows the phone to be held in place 
at the perfect height above a sheet of paper for the optical character 
recognition app to scan it. Although books on tape and braille versions of 
documents are often available, the stray bill or notice might need to be 
scanned.



SamsungLast is a set of small NFC (near-field communication) tags that can 
be placed wherever the user pleases, and which launch a voice note app 
whenever the phone detects them. That way, a tag can be put on a TV remote 
to remind the user of the button layout, or perhaps on the fridge for the 
quick recording of groceries to buy.

The accessories should be available soon through Samsung's online store. 
Pricing has not yet been announced.