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

Mon Apr 2 00:49:15 UTC 2012

Probably. Though they may release an actual update.
Nicole Thompson-Andrews

Pen name Mellissa Green
Budding novelist and Haiku and acrostic writer

Tweet me

@greenNovelist
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Evelyn Weckerly" <weckerly at i2k.com>
To: "NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, April 01, 2012 8:44 PM
Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] Freedom Scientific releases improved OCR for Jaws 
13and OpenBook

Hi,

People on gui-talk are saying this is an April fool's joke.

Evelyn

At 03:07 PM 4/1/2012, you wrote:
>Cool news.
>Nicole Thompson-Andrews
>
>Pen name Mellissa Green
>Budding novelist and Haiku and acrostic writer
>
>
>
>
>
>Tweet me
>
>
>
>@greenNovelist
>----- 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
>_______________________________________________
>nfbmi-talk mailing list
>nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org
>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org
>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>nfbmi-talk:
>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org/goldyemoran%40gmail.com
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>nfbmi-talk mailing list
>nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org
>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org
>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>nfbmi-talk:
>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org/weckerly%40i2k.com
_______________________________________________
nfbmi-talk mailing list
nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
nfbmi-talk:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org/goldyemoran%40gmail.com