Reading 'to go' for blind people (BBC) {scanner/voder}

[eppur_se_muova]

By Geoff Adams-Spink
Age & disability correspondent, BBC News website

A portable scanning device that reads text to visually impaired people will go on sale in the UK next month.

Called the K-NFB, it is the latest product to be developed by American inventor Raymond Kurzweil.
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The K-NFB, which combines a PDA and a digital camera, means that people will be able to read menus, train timetables and product labels in shops.
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The K-NFB gives the user an initial "situation report", describing what it can see. The user then makes a decision about whether to take a picture.

After a few seconds to process the image, the contents of the document are read aloud.
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more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/5088464.stm

OK, now the bad news ... the price. 2,625 UK Pounds = 4,840 USD. Sure hope that comes down after the early adopters kick-start the market.