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Welcome to the Summer Edition of On the Pulse
In this issue we feature news on the following:
Welcome to the Future
with myReader. It will
change the way you look at low vision
Forever.
“One
small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” When
these words were spoken they marked a new era of space exploration.
Whilst we may not be able to make such a huge claim, Pulse
Data has entered a new era, with the development of myReader, which
in the field of low vision is a very significant step.
The hundreds of Electronic Magnifiers (CCTVs ) available
today have altered little since Neil Armstrong spoke those memorable
words. Pulse Data has now changed this with the release of the next
generation of magnification technology for the visually impaired —
myReader. In the words
of Dr Russell Smith, Pulse Data International CEO “The way
myReader transforms the text of a document into the most readily
accessible format for comfortable reading, is both ingenious and
conceptually simple. It
is such an elegant solution that it will be irresistible for our
competitors to attempt to follow us in this new direction”.
Traditional Electronic
Magnifiers have and will continue to be a benefit to many people.
However, those who love reading or need to read for prolonged
periods of time in their work or studies frequently find CCTVs
tiring and uncomfortable to use for more than 10 or 15 minutes at a
time. myReader has been
designed to allow these people to read effortlessly for hours at a
time without fatigue. Put simply myReader, a product which has taken
three years to develop will significantly change the way you look at
low vision forever. The
product will officially be launched in the UK at the Sight Village
Exhibition on July 13th.
Our commitment to Research
and Development is a significant reason for Pulse Data’s continued
success, and in the last edition of “On the Pulse” we hinted
that new products were in the pipeline.
In addition to myReader, this summer will also see the
launch of a new compact BrailleNote notetaker, a new generation of
braille-lines and finally a colour version of our popular
PocketViewer. As
always these new products can be viewed in the comfort of your own
home, school or office with one of our free no obligation
demonstrations. With
the addition of these new exciting products we believe we now have
the most extensive portfolio of assistive technology to enhance the
lives of people who are visually impaired.
As well as information on
myReader et al, once again in this
edition of “On the Pulse” we have included articles on
our customers and organisations with whom we work. We look forward
to receiving your feedback on our latest innovations.
Alan Davis, UK General Sales Manager
Introducing myReader
myReader is the world’s first low vision
auto reader. It
enables those with low vision to go beyond just reading bills and
writing shopping lists and to once again read their favourite books
with ease. Like a
conventional electronic magnifier it can be used for handwriting and
other manual tasks and can also display text in a variety of
colours. However
myReader goes much further than this. A specially designed camera system captures the image of the
text and can present that text on a built-in adjustable 15”
flicker free screen in several different ways.
It can be read as a neatly
wrapped paragraph which moves up the screen
(like a News Reader’s autocue) or a single line of text
moving automatically across the screen, or lastly, presented as a
single word at a time. The
speed can be adjusted to the individual’s preference or you can
scroll manually at the touch of a button. This will allow users to
read faster, for longer, with less fatigue and greater understanding
of what is being read. Without
an X-Y Table to move from side to side, it is much easier to read
without the physical effort or need for hand-eye co-ordination.
An overview mode provides further assistance with page
orientation at a magnification level of just x0.75.
myReader can be
folded and easily transported, weighing just 10 kilos.
Never again will you
read the same line twice, never again will you miss important
parts of the text, never
again will reading be a chore
.
Blind
in Business
Blind
in Business was
established in 1990 by three blind
graduates as a charity to assist blind and
visually impaired young
people.
Today they offer an employment
service to assist graduates and a training service for young
school children.
Based in London, with a staff of five people, their services
are offered across the country free of charge.
At Graduate level, students are assisted to find employment,
prepare for interview and be aware of the technology which is
available.
They also work closely with major businesses to promote the
positive factors which visually impaired graduates can bring to
their organisations. Blind in Business can be contacted on 020 7588
1885 or at www.blindinbusiness.org.uk
Introducing
BrailleNote PK
Introducing
The BrailleNote PK the
world’s smallest blindness personal digital assistant, its fast,
its strong, and its fits comfortably in your pocket.
Weighing just 0.45 kilos it’s a small package with a lot of
punch. Utilising
the popular and familiar Keysoft software, a super quiet Braille
keyboard
and an 18 cell Braille display, we anticipate this device
will be popular
with those people on the move.
Take the Braillenote PK out of
your pocket at a café, connect to a WiFi hotspot and surf the net
at high speed to catch up on your mail and read the paper.
Never fuss with wires again.
BrailleNote PK will talk with a
wide range of wireless devices including mobile phones,
headsets and keyboards through its built in Bluetooth technology.
A
Braille Line in the palm of your hand, it must be Brailliant !
Coming
soon will be the Brailliant Braille Lines available in 24 and 40
cell versions both with wireless Bluetooth connectivity and with the
added advantage of being compact and portable. In addition to
Bluetooth they also have USB and Serial connections and weigh just
560 grams (40 Cell version) and a mere 380 grams for the 24 cell
version. Battery running time approx 25 to 30 hours on Bluetooth and
approx 100 hours on USB.
SmartView
Key to Success
Calling all SmartView 3000
and 5000 users. Do
you have a SmartView Keypad, if not why not take advantage of our
special offer. The
keypad provides an on-screen display of the time, date and
calculator. It also
provides variable guide lines for easier reading and blinds to
reduce glare, particularly useful in positive mode, i.e. black text
on a white background. The
price of the keypad is £95 and until the end of August, we are
offering it with a free Keypad Holder, worth £30, which will help
keep your desk tidy and keep the keypad at the same height as the
SmartView controls. Phone
01933 626000 to order yours today.
In
the Swing Down Under
Mike
Mayo a Pulse
Data customer recently took part in the World Golf
Championships held in Victoria, Australia.
Congratulations to Mike who finished 4th in his
Category. This
is a fantastic achievement, but it is only the latest in a string of
awards, including the 2003 British Masters.
Mike is a SmartView user but has found his
PocketViewer invaluable as he checks his score cards and maps
whilst out on the course. Mike is preparing to take part in two
major tournaments; The British Open in Ireland in 2005 and the World
Championships in Japan in 2006.
If you would like to support Mike in his fundraising efforts
you can contact him at : 19 Babis Farm Close,
Saltash, Cornwall PL12 4TG or email mike.mayo@dolphinaccess.net
Getting
the most from your ScannaR
The
following upgrades and accessories are now available for the ScannaR
stand-alone reading
machine, Additional European and Latin based languages,
Floppy disk drive for saving text onto 3.1/2” disks, USB memory
sticks for portable document storage and transfer and Infrared
option for cordless connectivity with the BrailleNote.
Please contact our sales office on 01933 626000 for further
details. Watch this space:
soon to
come the ScannaR with the 40-cell Braille display!
Dear
Diary....
BrailleNote Keysoft
Version 5.1 (a free upgrade for 5.0 users) makes the BrailleNote an
even more powerful tool. In particular the Planner has been
significantly improved to allow for the following functions
1. Recurring
dates (anniversaries, birthdays) can be easily set
2.
Periods of time can be blocked out perhaps for meetings or
private time
3.
The Planner details can now be synchronised with the Diary in
MS Outlook (on PC’s
operating Windows 000 and above
only)
So
that meeting which is held on the third Wednesday of each month can
be easily set at the
press of a button. In
addition to the improved Planner, Keysoft 5.1 now offers a word
count facility as standard. When
upgrading from Keysoft 5.0 to 5.1,
the BrailleNote will
automatically re-enter the dates already stored in its planner. For
customers wishing to upgrade to 5.1 and are still on version 4.01 or
earlier, please contact our Sales Office for the options available
to upgrade today.
Queen’s
Birthday Honours
We are very proud to
announce that Pulse Data International’s CEO Dr. Russell Smith was
made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in this years’
Queen’s Birthday Honours List in recognition of his work to
improve the lives of the visually impaired.
This award comes just two months after being presented with
an Honorary Fellowship
of the New Zealand Institute
of Professional Engineers. He joins a list of eminent members
including Prince
Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh and
Sir Edmund Hillary.
Second
Hand Electronic Equipment
Are you
looking for a second hand CCTV ?
We may have just what you are looking for. Prices start from
£500, call our Sales Office today to find out what is available on
01933 626000.
Staff Profile
If
you phone Pulse Data Europe, the person you are most likely to speak
with first is our Receptionist, Jackie Pywell. As well as her
reception and administration duties, Jackie also books most of the
Exhibitions and Drop–in days we attend.
Jackie is a keen animal lover and can be frequently found
participating at dog shows in her spare time with her Border Collie
Tizer
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