[nabs-l] an interesting article
sami osborne via nabs-l
nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Sun May 18 13:42:40 UTC 2014
Hi all.
Below I will paste an article that my mom emailed to me
yesterdayou
The article is about a Braille phone designed by a British
company called OwnPhone.
I have found this article interesting so I thought that you guys
might also be interested.
It describes the phone that they made and also what kinds of
phones they have made in the past. You can ignore the ending, as
it just describes VoiceOver and Android, and we all know about
them, don't we?
Note: currently, this phone is only avialable in the UK, so
people like Sandra Gayer can buy it.
By the way Sandra, feel free to chime in if you already have it
and share how you like it.
So as promised, the article below which Ow will paste right now.
Let me know what you think.
Thanks,
Sami.
Braille phone goes on sale in 'world first'
London-based firm OwnFone has released what it says is the
world's first Braille phone.
The front and back of the phone is constructed using 3D
printing techniques and can be customised.
Other companies have designed Braille phones in the past, but
OwnFone says its device is the first of its kind to go on sale.
For those who can't read Braille, the company can print raised
text on the keypad.
The phone, currently only available in the UK, retails for £60
and according to its inventor Tom Sunderland, 3D printing the
front and back of the device helped to keep the costs down.
"3D printing... provides a fast and cost-effective way to
create personalised Braille buttons," he says.
The device is designed to provide an instant connection between
blind users and their friends and family.
Haptic touchscreen
In 2012, OwnFone launched what was one of the world's first
partially 3D printed phones.
A year later, the company developed a special child-friendly
version called 1stFone, a credit-card sized device with
programmable buttons for crucial contacts.
OwnFone's new Braille phone is based on these previous two
devices, keeping its small form factor and colourful design
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