All Deals

Nuance has rleased version 5 of their Talks screen-reading application for Symbian phones. Talks 5.0 adds support for touchscreen S60 5th edition phones, improved support for the calendar and email application, and improved audio handling. Talks 5.0 is a free upgrade to existing Talks 4 customers.

GW Micro has anounced an improved version of their SenseView desktop magnifyer. The D650 features a sleek design and improved image quality. The upgraded desktop SenseView will be free to existing desktop SenseView customers in the United States, and new units will be shipping in the next few months. Pricing for new customers has not been anounced.

GW Micro has anounced the Voice Sense QWERTY, a version of their voice Sense notetaker with a qwerty computer keyboard. The device also features a built-in GPS receiver and compass, WiFi and Bluetooth, and more. Pricing and a ship date are still to be determined.

GW Micro has anounced the BookSense DS, a version of their digital book player that features an OLED display. The screen can display what the BookSense is saying, as well as display books and documents. The BookSense DS features 4GB of memory, a SDHC slot, and keys which are more spaced apart than the existing BookSense. A price and ship date have not been anounced.

Freedom Scientific has announced the Pearl, a portable camera OCR solution that works with version 9 of their OpenBook scanning software. The Pearl camera costs $1,195, and OpenBook 9 is priced at $995. Both products will be available in May. A special introductory price for the Pearl camera is available for $600 until July 15. Previous OpenBook customers can upgrade to OpenBook version 9 for $150. Stay tuned to Blind Bargains for a hands-on look at this device from the CSUN 2010 conference.

Blastbay Studios has released version 0.1 of the Blastbay Game Toolkit, software which allows you to design your own audio games. No prior knowledge of computer programming is required. The toolkit features a high-speed game engine, versatile scripting language based on C++, extensive documentation and examples and more. Pricing has not been anounced, though anyone is able to test and give feedback for this beta release.

Humanware has released version 3.1 for their Victor Stream audio book player. This new version adds support for nested folders within the DAISY bookshelf, support for the spanish electronic braile format, and it is now possible to copy DAISY books from USB flash media to the stream. Note that the promised support for books in the EPUB format is not in this release. Version 3.1 is a free update for existing Victor Stream customers.

Code Factory has released version 4.01 of their Mobile Speak aplication for symbian phones. This maintenance update adds support for the Nokia x6 and 6700 slide, support for the web browser on touch-screen devices, and more. This is a free upgrade to existing users of Mobile Speak 4.

Guerrilla Technologies, Inc. has announced Visionary, a portable OCR solution for $1500. The system consists of a Dell Mini netbook, capture stand and digital camera. At launch, the product will only be sold with this netbook, although a version without the computer is being considered. This product is expected to be released within the next 30 to 60 days.

GW Micro has announced that the Book Sense audio player will be supporting content from the System Access Mobile network in the near future. This is similar to the feature found on the Plextalk Pocket and the Victor Stream. This will be a free update to existing Book Sense owners and SAMNet subscribers. A release date has not been given.

A Blind Bargains reader has listed a Voice Sense and SyncBraille 32 for sale on Craigslist. Both can be had for $3,000, or they will piece them out separately, a bit more than half the cost of these units new. The Voice Sense is GW Micro's portable notetaking solution while the SyncBraille 32 is a portable, compatible, braille display from the same manufacturer. All original accessories are included.

An EBay seller and Blind Bargains reader has posted a used Victor Reader Stream with a current bid of $105. Even with $30 for shipping (it's coming from Singapore), it's about $200 off the cost of a new unit. Plus, an Executive Products leather case and extended warranty through November of 2010 are included. The unit is advertised as barely used and comes with practically all of the original accessories. Auction ends January 24.

Blind Bargains has obtained presentation information for ATIA Orlando 2010. A handout concerning the new features in OpenBook 9 is available. The new version of Freedom Scientific's OCR software contains improved image acquisition times which claim to provide almost instant access to documents, better support for image files, and additional features for low-vision users such as a virtual X-Y table. In addition, users will be able to restart reading where they left off when reopening a document. Support for the Unified English Braille code is also included as well as other unnamed features, according to the abstract. Freedom Scientific published their complete ATIA presentation schedule in their December 2009 newsletter. Blind Bargains will be in Orlando providing both written and audio coverage for the conference, so stay tuned for more details.

7-128 Software is offering a Holiday discount on their accessible GameBook.
It's a $20 download for 5 games including detective, puzzle, and word games.
Use coupon HOLIDAYS2009 to get the bundle, which runs on Windows 7, Vista, and XP as well as the Mac.. The gamebook has many additional titles which can be added, many of which are accessible.

An EBay seller has listed a SARA Stand-Alone Scanning and Reading Appliance with a starting bid of $900. Or, Buy It Now for $1450. With about $30 for shipping, it's still about half the cost of a new unit. This appliance is ideal for those who want an all-in-one scanning solution. It includes scanning and OCR software as well as a built-in CD drive. Auction ends early on December 15, if not bought sooner.

Today is the last day to purchase the Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar. You may buy it directly from the US Mint for $33.95. Standard shipping costs $4.95, however you must select expedited to guarantee a Christmas delivery. The Louis Braille Commemorative Silver Dollar is the first United States coin to feature tactile, readable braille. All sales must be made before 5:00 PM eastern time.

According to a video news report posted to CNN, the next version of the KNFB Reader Mobile software will include color recognition capabilities. The reader is heard saying "recognizing color" and identifying the color blue in the video. Watch the full report which is linked to this post.

Blastbay Studios is currently offering the Q9 Adventure game for $24.95,. The side-scrolling game offers 12 levels, original music, bonus rounds, four difficulty levels and more. Deal ends January 1.

An EBay seller and Blind Bargains reader has posted an unlocked Nokia N82, with a fully licensed copy of Talks Premium 4.00.3 with a starting bid of $250. With $10 for shipping, it's less than the price of Talks alone. It can be upgraded to the latest version of Talks for free.
This phone is also compatible with the KNFB Reader Mobile software. Auciton ends December 4.

Nuance has just released vrersion 4.11.3 of their Talks and Zooms software package for mobile phones. This version adds support for several new handsets, improves the web browser for the Nokia e52 and N86 and more. Version 4.11 is a free upgrade for all premium licenses generated after November 13, 2007.