A book-reading scanner; Kindle for iPhone
Published: Apr 2, 2009What it is: A USB-connected flatbed scanner, the V100 offers 1200 by 1200 dpi scanning resolution, as well as optical character recognition software that converts printed text into a digital format. In addition, text-to-speech recognition software reads the digitally converted text back to you with a “human-sounding” voice.
Why it’s cool: The scanner is designed for visually impaired users who want to have their books or documents read to them out loud. It was quite easy to use — I placed a book page on the scanner, pressed a button and the system and software took care of the rest. The V100 can scan in three different modes: plain text, a grayscale PDF scan or a color scan. I found the PDF scan the most accurate and book-like (the scanner takes an image scan and then the software converts the words). After the scan, you can listen to the page or convert the text file into a WAV or MP3 audio file, which can be transferred into an iPod or MP3 audio player.
Some caveats: Scanning books with many pages could be a tedious way for the visually impaired to listen to their books, considering other options available, such as audio books, Braille books or large-print offerings. The system is likely more convenient for scanning items such as e-mails or other one-page documents. Positioning a book on the flatbed to get the best possible scan was also a bit tricky. In the end, the value you place on the device will likely depend on how much you need it, and whether alternatives are available.
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