[nfbmi-talk] Freedom Scientific releases improved OCR for Jaws 13and OpenBook

Sun Apr 1 19:28:58 UTC 2012

This is the funniest one I read today. thanks Fred.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "fred olver" <goodfolks at charter.net>
To: <blindad at babel-fish.us>
Sent: Sunday, April 01, 2012 2:51 PM
Subject: [nfbmi-talk] Freedom Scientific releases improved OCR for Jaws 
13and OpenBook

For Immediate Release:

Freedom Scientific Releases New and Improved OCR Recognition Software for 
JAWS and OpenBook

Today, Freedom Scientific, one of the world's leading screen reading and 
blindness product makers, has just recently developed and released a new 
breakthrough
in its line of products of assistive technology for blind and visually 
impaired computer users.

Have you ever wanted to take OpenBook® with you at all times anywhere you 
can possibly go with it? Or even better, have you always wanted to be able 
to
pick up a handwritten note on a piece of paper and be able to read it 
instantly just like anybody else? Or maybe you are one of those frustrated 
students
that are inundated with printed or handwritten material that you can't read 
in or out of a classroom setting and you have to wait even hours or days for
somebody to read to you. Maybe you are at a conference, you are given a 
business card or a simple handout that is important, and you need to fill 
out or
read along?

Well, wish and wonder no more! Freedom Scientific now has the solution!

Due to popular demand, and numerous emails and feedback requests from our 
users, Freedom Scientific has decided to step forward.

We have released a new, updated, and improved OCR recognition engine for 
both, our Openbook® and JAWS® products. This bran new release includes many 
new
features, which include, but not limited to:

* The ability to recognize smaller type font and better recognition of 
columns in sophisticated tables, which can easily be confusing to read.
* The ability to recognize print on smaller pieces of print paper, such as 
note slips or contact cards on the spot, with better print focus and not the
scanner bed or camera.
* Finally, the ability to recognize handwriting with about 85-90% accuracy!

Yes, that's right! Our new OCR engine has built-in support for handwriting 
recognition. That means that you can either scan or place a handwritten note
from a co-worker, a spouse, or from a door, into your camera or scanner of 
your choice, and Openbook® will automatically recognize it and be able to 
read
it with speech and / or Braille output from your preferred synthesizer or 
Braille display! Not only this. You can open a .pdf, .jpg, or .png image 
that
someone sent you with handwriting over the email on your computer, perform 
the OCR recognition command (JAWS 13 and later only), and bingo! You will 
hear
the handwriting being spoken out to you or sent to your Braille display. 
Please note that these new features offered by this improved version of the 
OCR
engine for JAWS® or OpenBook® software are only compatible with Openbook 
versions later than 8.0 and JAWS version 13.0 or later. Please note users of 
JAWS
earlier than 13.0, we will release a version of the new OCR engine that we 
released with JAWS 13.0 later this month, with the same features as the ones
offered now, so you aren't left out on these new features! This update to 
the OCR engine can work with both 32- and 64-bit operating systems.

Want some even more awesome news from our OpenBook® development team? We 
have released OpenBook Mobile®, a scanning and reading solution app for your 
iOS
device! This means that you can use our popular scanning and reading 
solution right from your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, using VoiceOver and the 
camera
of your device! Yes, that's right, OpenBook® is going mobile, and you will 
be able to take it anywhere you go that you find printed material that you 
cannot
read. You will be able to go on a trip, be given an airport boarding pass, 
and you will no longer need sighted assistance to see whether your plane was
gone before you knew it, or to see your flight information. You will be able 
to go to a church service and be able to access printed booklets of hymns
or group prayers easily and independently without requesting sighted help. 
Even more fantastic, you will be able to walk into a classroom door that 
appears
to have no one waiting with you, bump into a little sticky note with your 
finger below or above the Braille marking of the classroom number, and not 
have
to wait so many hours and precious study time trying to find out if the 
instructor canceled the class or whatever other scheduling conflict that 
might
have occurred with that instructor. If you have an iPhone, iPod Touch or 
iPad, you will get it out, snap a photo of that little sticky note, and you 
will
be able to find out what's wrong quickly, independently  and immediately 
with the built-in handwriting recognition of the OCR engine for OpenBook 
Mobile®!
It's so easy!

Currently, OpenBook Mobile® for iOS platforms is available at the Apple 
iTunes store and it costs $2.99. This app is designed to fit any budget. So, 
what
are you waiting for? Purchase your OpenBook Mobile® app for your iPhone / 
iPod / iPad now, and let your future shine today! The power of technology 
and
handwriting is in your hands, like never before!

If you have any questions regarding these two new initiatives, don't 
hesitate to give us a call at 1-800-444-4443 or e-mail us at
support at freedomScientific.com.
We would like to hear from you and your feedback!

Sincerely,

The Freedom Scientific Team **************

P.S. April Fools! ? ? :)))

Fred Olver
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