[NFBWATLK] talking laundry box

Fri Jul 21 23:52:16 UTC 2017

I dread the day when our washer and drier will have to be replaced.  Most of
the machines on the market today are controlled by completely inaccessible
touch screens.  Although the description makes the laundry box sound as if
it was created for people with mental, not visual, difficulties, there is a
real need for a means to handle controls on modern washers and driers.  I've
heard of some machines that can be run from a smart phone, which may have
possibilities until wi-fi stops working.  I'm happy I still have a washer
with three main cycles that I can control easily by touch.

-----Original Message-----
From: NFBWATLK [mailto:nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Becky
Frankeberger via NFBWATLK
Sent: Friday, July 21, 2017 1:37 PM
To: 'NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List'
Cc: Becky Frankeberger
Subject: [NFBWATLK] talking laundry box

I don't know whether to be insulted or say thank you.

Becky 

GE's $99 'Talking Laundry' box was built for the blind

The device works with most current washers and dryers, too.

Article link:
https://www.engadget.com/2017/07/20/ges-99-talking-laundry-box-was-built-for
-the-blind/
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9In0> 

Doing laundry might be dead simple for most people, but the visually
impaired don't have it so easy. To make that easier, GE Appliance's
skunkworks division FirstBuild
<https://mandrillapp.com/track/click/30489975/www.engadget.com?p=eyJzIjoiSHB
PSEE2OW9yamkxQUt4TkFUaW5qRlVfcE9NIiwidiI6MSwicCI6IntcInVcIjozMDQ4OTk3NSxcInZ
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yMGU0ZGI0MzRhY2MwMWQwOTk3XCJdfSJ9>  -- along with the help of a 14 
yMGU0ZGI0MzRhY2MwMWQwOTk3XCJdfSJ9> year-old
-- has designed
<https://mandrillapp.com/track/click/30489975/www.businesswire.com?p=eyJzIjo
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9>  a system called Talking Laundry. With a name like that, the 
9> invention is
pretty self-explanatory: it's a metal box (below) that audibly tells you how
much time is left in a given wash cycle, and simplifies controls to one knob
each for a washer and dryer.

Using a board computer and FirstBuild's Green Bean tools that convert code
to machine language, teenage Jack DuPlessis (his dad works for GE and gave
him the task) put a prototype together in the span of a weekend. Talking
Laundry can even be retrofitted onto existing laundry machines; its sales
page
<https://mandrillapp.com/track/click/30489975/market.firstbuild.com?p=eyJzIj
oia0lxREpBUUVQX2ZScVVBSzhIS1RmVWJCTXVrIiwidiI6MSwicCI6IntcInVcIjozMDQ4OTk3NS
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A1NTlhZWQ4MDc5NTI4ZjgwY2EzM2U1XCJdfSJ9>  states that the module will 
A1NTlhZWQ4MDc5NTI4ZjgwY2EzM2U1XCJdfSJ9> connect
to "most" current and all future laundry units.

Maybe best of all, these are available to buy right now and they won't break
the bank. One unit will control both a washer and a dryer and will only set
you back $99 -- a far cry from that $16,000 voice-controlled laundry folder
<https://mandrillapp.com/track/click/30489975/www.engadget.com?p=eyJzIjoiVWh
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1MWNlYTIyZTMxMzA3MGQxMmFmYzc4YTZkOTVjNDRlZDRkXCJdfSJ9> .

<https://mandrillapp.com/track/open.php?u=30489975&id=a46a8eb10b15494fb002db
162bc48654> 

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