[Nfb-seniors] microsoft's seeing ai app to read handwriting and more details inside and to be discussed on Monday night's NJ tech division seminar at 8 PM

[Janie Degenshein]

Hello all tech friends
On monday night, the NJ tech division will sponsor our fourth nationwide 
tech seminar with Marty Schultz owner and developer of the blindfold games
Come and listen and learn about that and also a bit about the below 
additoons to the seeing ai app as well
Date: Monday, December 18 at 8 PM Eastern
How: dial 1 515 604 9570
Code 612068 Pound



This app is free in the app store
Go get it and experiment
the previous channels were
short text, document, product recognition,
person, scene preview,and now adds color preview, handwriting preview,light 
and currency
***


Microsoft's Seeing AI app for the blind now reads handwriting

The updated iOS app is available in 35 countries.

Article Link: 
https://www.engadget.com/2017/12/14/microsoft-seeing-ai-app-update/

Artificial intelligence took center stage at Microsoft's AI Summit in San 
Francisco on Wednesday. Aside from announcing AI smarts for a range of 
software -- from Bing to Office 365 -- the tech titan is also ramping up its 
Seeing AI app for iOS, which uses computer vision to audibly help blind and 
visually impaired people to see the world around them. According to 
Microsoft, it's nabbed 100,000 downloads since its launch in the US earlier 
this year, which convinced the tech titan to bring it to 35 countries in 
total, including the EU.

It's also getting a bunch of new features. The app now boasts more currency 
recognition, adding British pounds, US dollars, Canadian dollars, and Euros 
to its tally. Going beyond the color in a scene, it can also spot the color 
of specific objects, like clothes. Plus, it's no longer restricted to just 
short printed text, with handwriting recognition now part of its skill set. 
You can also customize the voice that it uses to speak its observations out 
loud, and set how fast it talks.

Finally, a musical light detector alerts you to the light in an environment 
with an audible tone -- Microsoft claims the tool will save users from 
having to touch a hot bulb or LED battery to check if it's on. Despite the 
big update, there's still no word on an Android launch.





Keep Smiling,
Janie Degenshein
Happiness isn't having what you want, but wanting what you already have!
Facilitator of ECHO (Eyes Closed Hearts Open)
state affiliate board member
President of the senior division of the National Federation of the Blind of 
New Jersey
President of the Technology division of the National federation of the Blind 
of New Jersey
NFBNJ Newsline co-ordinator
jdegen16 at comcast.net

Keep Smiling,
Janie Degenshein
Happiness isn't having what you want, but wanting what you already have!
Facilitator of ECHO (Eyes Closed Hearts Open)
state affiliate board member
President of the senior division of the National Federation of the Blind of 
New Jersey
President of the Technology division of the National federation of the Blind 
of New Jersey
NFBNJ Newsline co-ordinator
jdegen16 at comcast.net