Technology advances ever onward, and one of the latest devices to be born from the imagination of the engineers at HIMS is the E-bot.

The E-bot is a portable CCTV camera designed to be connected via HDMI to a television or monitor - so far so normal. What sets the E-bot apart is that it can also wirelessly connect to an iPad, using the iPad's screen as its monitor!

In another twist, the most advanced version of the E-bot, the E-bot Pro, is fully motorized and allows control of the camera through either swipe and touch gestures directly on the iPad screen, or with the included remote control. This is fantastic for making fine adjustments when magnified and makes it possible to use the camera from beyond arm's length as you don't need to touch the camera in order to move it. 

The E-bot comes in three models, with the E-bot Pro being the most fully featured. The E-bot Pro, in addition to the motorized movement, offers great OCR, distance viewing, near viewing and superb portability due to its fold-away design. 

Look out for a video on the E-bot very soon, and in the meantime read more about the device here http://hims-inc.com/products/e-bot-pro/

"Literature is my Utopia. Here I am not disenfranchised. No barrier of the senses shuts me out from the sweet, gracious discourses of my book friends. They talk to me without embarrassment or awkwardness.?" Helen Keller, The Story of My Life

One of the main areas in which people who are blind or have a visual impairment suffer, particularly if they have lost their vision at a later age, is the loss of their ability to read. Suddenly being unable to read mail, books, magazines, restaurant menus and product labels, to name just a few areas, means a loss of independence and a subsequent decline in quality of life. Often people will turn to their family and friends for help; however having to rely on others is unsatisfactory to many people and the psychological burden further leads to a decline in quality of life. If a student experiences vision loss, being unable to access textbooks or see the whiteboard can put them at a disadvantage to their peers and lead to a loss of motivation in school and poor grades. Being able therefore to propose viable techniques that can enhance the ability of a person who is blind or visually impaired to read is very important, and thankfully there are many devices that can be utilized. 

Electronic magnification is a huge area and consists of devices from handheld to desktop and every size in between. Using an electronic magnifier or CCTV a user can read anything from a menu or food label to a book much more easily than with a regular magnifying glass.

If magnification doesn't work for you then OCR may be the answer. OCR or read aloud devices can take a picture of a piece of text and read it aloud to a user. Great for reading mail or books these devices can do wonders for your independence. 

As well as these there are many services available providing audio books. The Library of Congress runs a program called BARD offering free audio books and a device to play them to people with a visual impairment. You can apply at nlsbard.loc.gov or visit your local library. In addition, services such as Bookshare.org and learning ally offer access to many books including textbooks for students. As well as these, through a tablet, e-reader or phone it is possible to download thousands of books from places such as Amazon or the Apple App Store. 

Reading as a person who is blind or visually impaired is a huge topic and can't be covered in a blog post. For more information you can contact us at 312-997-3649, email at luke.scriven@chicagolighthouse.org and visit our Youtube Channel at youtube.com/chilighthouse 

An interesting movement in the AT field over recent years has been the homogenization of different types of technology into one device. This has been seen with CCTV's that contain OCR technology, Read-Aloud devices that combine email capabilities, Smart Phones that can be used for numerous different tasks related to the low vision and blindness etc. This homogenization is a great trend as it means a user can carry less devices and make their lives a little easier.

Following this trend is the Blaze EZ from HIMS, a fully featured DASIY reader featuring WiFi capabilities and OCR. The Blaze EZ is around the size of an iPhone 5 and weighs just 138 grams making it very portable. The front of the device is uncluttered; At the top are two speakers at the left and right with the power button between them. A record button is located under the left speaker. Under that are found 3 buttons in a row for access to music, radio and books. Under these can be found four directional arrows with a button in the center for navigation and selection. Finally, under the arrows are 3 buttons in a row, a cancel button, an explorer button for accessing menus and the OCR button for performing OCR.

The Blaze's main competition is likely to come from Humanware's Victor Reader Stream 2nd Generation, itself a very capable OCR device. The devices have in similar built in WiFi capabilities, allowing you to download DAISY books from Bookshare, BARD, stream online radio and download podcasts. The Victor Reader features a numeric keypad which makes navigation and accessing certain features somewhat easier. The Blaze EZ on the other hand features OCR which the Victor Reader does not. In my tests with the OCR it works very well - it performs the OCR quickly, the accuracy is impressive and the voice is clear. The Blaze does not give any indication as to the paper alignment like the KNFB Reader does, so it can be harder to align. Nonetheless I can see it being a very useful tool. One other nice feature that the Blaze has which the Victor Reader does not is built in storage - 16GB is built in with around 12GB available for use. This of course can be expanded with an SD card (support for up to 64GB SD cards).

Both of these devices are great examples of homogenization in the AT field, offering multiple features to access entertainment on the go. The Blaze is interesting in offering OCR in such a compact package, and it does it surprisingly well. This comes at a cost though, with the MSRP at $695, while the Victor Reader comes in at an MSRP of $369. Whichever way you choose to go you really can't go wrong! To find out more call us at 312-997-3649.

Low Vision International are no strangers to making great low vision devices. We were big fans of their portable camera system, the Magnilink S, a few months back and now have had the chance to review their portable desktop CCTV line, the Magnilink Zip. Suffice to say, once again we are impressed.

The Magnilnik Zip comes in many varieties with optional 13 or 17 inch screen sizes, an optional X-Y table, an optional HD or Full HD camera and an optional rechargeable battery. All models can fold flat for easy transportation and feature LVI's fantastic design aesthetic, looking sleek and modern to fit in with your other appliances.

The Magnilink Zip is a great CCTV for a student thanks to it's optional rechargeable battery allowing it to be used  away from an outlet, it's fold-away design allowing it to be easily transported between classes and it's camera which can be used for distance or near viewing. Great for zooming in on the whiteboard then looking at a handout!

You can read more about back to school technology on our sister blog at sandysview1.wordpress.com and see the Magnilink Zip at our online store here https://chicagolighthouse.3dcartstores.com/Magnilink-Zip-13-HD_p_1406.html   or even better, just watch our video review below!

Here at The Chicago Lighthouse we are always excited to try out new technology, and that's why when Boni approached us with a desire to install navigation beacon technology here we jumped at the chance!

Boni is a company from Turkey who have been working on a navigation system to aid those who are blind or have a visual impairment to navigate through unfamiliar spaces. The way they do this is by using small beacons installed in strategic places around buildings which transmit locational data to an app (currently available on iPhone but soon to be available on Android also). Using the app is very simple and allows you to choose a location that you would like to navigate to and have the app tell you the direction and distance you need to travel both audibly and visibly. 

                                                                                                   The beacon is seen on the ceiling

Additionally the app will transmit data about your surroundings as you walk around. For example, when you walk into the lobby here at The Chicago Lighthouse the app will relay the information that you are in the lobby, that the store is to your left, the front desk is in front of you, and the offices are to your right.

The Loud Steps app giving navigational data

This kind of tool can be very useful for navigating new and unfamiliar spaces. The beacons have already been installed in multiple places in Turkey such as shopping malls, and in the tests we have carried out here at The Chicago Lighthouse the navigation technology has proved to be useful to participants as an addition to their cane. In the future we hope that this technology will be commonplace making everywhere accessible to people with a visual impairment and providing a beacon of hope for equality everywhere. 

Technology is a great asset to those who are blind or visually impaired, helping to give back independence where it may have seemed that there was no hope. The down side to this is that technology costs, and is unfortunately not covered by services such as Medicare and Medicaid. 

To help with this The Chicago Lighthouse offers used or ex-demo equipment at highly discounted prices. All the equipment is tested by our Assistive Technology team to ensure it is working correctly, and is available to be tried out at our downtown (1850 West Roosevelt Road, Chicago IL) and Glenview (222 Waukegan Road, Glenview IL) locations. 

Our used and ex-demo equipment can be found here http://chicagolighthouse.3dcartstores.com/TECH-SALE_c_124.html and here http://chicagolighthouse.3dcartstores.com/Used-CCTVs-and-Other-Adaptive-Technology_c_107.html. And of course if you have questions about anything, technology related or otherwise, then please call! You can reach us at 1-800-919-3375, or feel free to email luke.scriven@chicagolighthouse.org. 

For the blind and visually impaired, navigation around unfamiliar areas can be a scary proposition. Talking GPS units can be a godsend in this situation, providing street by street navigation that can guide a blind or visually impaired pedestrian to their destination. The Trekker Breeze from Humanware was one of the best GPS systems on the market but was hampered by slow connection time to satellites and a problem losing it's signal in built up urban areas. 

Humanware have just released a solution to these problems in the Trekker Breeze+, an updated version of the Trekker Breeze that promises drastically reduced connection time to satellites and much better signal retainment in built up areas.It offers some other great features such as the ability to create your own landmarks, browse points of interest in your area and set routes to them, and even the ability to explore routes virtually before embarking on them.

The Trekker Breeze+ comes in at a great price point at $799 if you don't already own a Breeze, or $199 if you have a Breeze already and want to update it to the Breeze+ model. 

We think the Trekker Breeze+ is a great tool, but don't take our word for it! Check out the video demonstration below and see for yourself, then see it on our website here https://chicagolighthouse.3dcartstores.com/Trekker-Breeze-Plus_p_17.html

The American Foundation for the Blind is a fantastic organization striving to bring equality for those with a visual impairment and has been doing great work since 1921. That's why when we were recently alerted to their blog we had to check it out, and we were not disappointed. Featuring fantastic articles on topics ranging from getting to grips with the new iWatch from Apple, to anecdotes and stories about Helen Keller, the AFB Blog is a highly recommended resource and we would encourage you to check it out here http://www.afb.org/blog/afb-blog/1 

And for those of you who love to keep up to date on the latest technology (hopefully that covers most of the people who read our blog!) don't forget about the AFB's AccessWorld magazine, a free online magazine published monthly and covering news and reviews on the latest and greatest technology out there, as well as articles on low vision and blindness news from around the world. Check it out here http://www.afb.org/aw/main.asp

We have finally had a chance to make a video demonstration of the Vario Ultra Braille display, and this little guy is definitely a good tool to have around for the modern girl or guy. Featuring a sleek aluminum body, ergonomic design, excellent feeling Braille cells (available as either a 20 or 40 cell setup) and the ability to connect to 5 devices simultaneously, this Braille display hits all the right buttons. 

Check out our video review to find out for yourself what this Display is all about!

The Orcam has been in pre-release in the USA for a few months and we have had the chance to try it out, and we are liking what we see. For those of you who haven't seen the promotional video (see it below) the Orcam is a wearable camera which attaches to the side of a pair of glasses and can perform OCR to read aloud whatever text the wearer is looking at. In addition the Orcam offers additional features such as facial recognition whereby, once you have stored a person in its memory, it will recognize that persons face when it sees them and tell you who you are looking at. It is also possible to store products into the Orcam's database so when you look at a products packaging it will tell you what the product is.

This technology can be extremely useful for the vision impaired or blind, and from our hands on we have seen that it works very well. The speed and accuracy of the OCR is exceptional, providing good quality speech output and being able to be triggered by the user simply pointing at what they want to be read. The speech is transmitted to the user via bone conduction so the audio is not spoken out loud to whoever is in the room with you!

Facial recognition is a feature that many will find useful to avoid embarrassing social faux pas, particularly useful for the blind or those with central vision loss, but does have limitations currently such as only being able to store 20 people in the memory, and having some problems if the person, for example, is wearing glasses but was not when they were initially stored in the memory. However there is a lot of potential for this idea and further updates will hopefully improve on some of these limitations.

The Orcam offers a new vision of how blindness and low vision technology can be integrated into your life through unobtrusive, wearable technology that assists with the things people most struggle with. Although not perfect, the Orcam offers a glimpse of the future of assistive technology and promises a new era where technology will seamlessly blend into a person's life and allow them full access to the world, whatever their disability.

Humanware's Trekker Breeze has long been a useful tool for people who are blind or visually impaired to confidently navigate when out and about, providing a simple to use interface that can be manipulated one handed leaving a hand free to hold a white cane or dog guide. The Trekker did have a few problems though, such as very slow starting time, not telling you what side of the street things were on and sometimes inaccurate location finding when not in street view. Step up the New Trekker Breeze+ Humanware yesterday launched the next generation of Trekker Breeze addressing all of the issues that users had with the first generation. Humanware promise quicker start up, much better location finding when not in street view and better description of where things are. We haven't had hands on time with it yet (keep tuned for a video review when we get one!) but judging by Humanware's past successes we are fully confident they will deliver another great product, and really look forward to trying it out. Best of all is the price. A new Trekker Breeze+ will set you back $799, a great price itself, but even better if you already own a Trekker Breeze you can have yours modified to the new version for just $199! That kind of pricing is really forward thinking and consumer conscious, and we love it. Check out the press release from Humanware below and call us at 1-800-919-3375 with any questions!

HumanWare Launches the Trekker Breeze+

More Accurate for More Informed Travel HumanWare is excited to announce a new travel tool to add to the navigation toolbox. The Trekker Breeze+ is the next generation of HumanWare�s popular Trekker Breeze talking GPS. Building upon the success of the original Breeze and based on the feedback received from visually impaired travelers, the new improved Breeze+ is the most accurate, intuitive, and effective navigation aid designed for travelers who are visually impaired.

Developing strong orientation and mobility skills is essential for successful travel for individuals with a visual impairment. Effective skills with a white cane or dog guide enable a traveler who is visually impaired to successfully and safely navigate from work to home, home to school, or among different countries around the world.

� The integration of GPS into our guide dog training curriculum would not have been possible without the relationship we have built with HumanWare. We are excited about the new Breeze Plus because it delivers the features and upgrades our clients and instructors have been requesting. HumanWare proves once again it listens to the needs of our clients. The changes are another example of the commitment of both Leader Dogs for the Blind and HumanWare to provide meaningful products and services. We look forward to our continued collaborative relationship and the chance to improve travel of all who ask.� Says Rod Haneline, VP and Chief Programs & Services Officer at Leader Dogs for the Blind.

Based on popular user feedback, the Breeze+ uses the same effective design as the original Trekker Breeze while on the go. With well pronounced tactile buttons, all device functions can be operated using one hand, leaving the other hand free for your white cane or dog guide. It�s what�s inside that makes all the difference The Breeze+ uses the latest in GPS technology to provide you with the fastest, most accurate travel information when and where you need it. So what�s different about the Breeze+ compared to the original Trekker Breeze?

�   Significantly improved GPS acquisition time When frequently using this newly updated GPS technology, you can expect to have a GPS connection in as little as 10 seconds after the device boots. �   Greatly improved performance in urban canyon environments! The urban canyon environment often found in large cities has always been less accommodating to GPS usage. With the updated GPS technology in the Breeze+, you can expect a consistent GPS signal, regardless of your environment. �   Improved GPS accuracy With Breeze+, you can expect accuracy of landmarks to be significantly improved. For example, testers have reported that their landmarks have been announced less than 5 feet from the original location. �   Higher quality GPS signal Once Breeze+ acquires the satellite signal, you can expect to travel with a higher quality GPS signal. This means a more accurate detection of your location.

Travel with confidence with Breeze+ Here are just a few of the features existing Breeze users love: �   Traveling to a specific address or business? Breeze+ provides you specific walking or driving instructions as you travel. �   Wondering where you are? Use the �Where Am I Button�. This button tells you your current cardinal direction, next intersection, nearest address and current street. �   Curious about what you just passed? The What�s Around feature lets you know what interesting points of interest are around you. �   Worried about how you will get back home? Simply drop a landmark in front of your house and Breeze+ will walk you back to that exact spot whenever you want. �   Nervous about navigating in open areas such as a campus or park? Breeze+�s open area mode allows you to use landmarked locations to get from point A to B confidently.

With the release of Microsoft's Surface 3 tablet/laptop hybrid we thought it was time to blog about the benefits of this great line of devices for people who are blind or visually impaired (read a review of the Surface 3 here http://www.engadget.com/2015/04/15/surface-3-review/)

The Surface 3 is the first time that Microsoft have released a Surface outside of the Pro line that runs a full version of Windows 8.1 - what does this mean? It means you will get a fully functioning laptop replacement running a full version of Windows for a lot cheaper than was previously possible.

Starting at just $499, the Surface 3 can have up to 4GB of RAM and 128GB storage, and uses an Intel 'Atom' processor which seems from the reviews to be capable for most users needs. Also available is the great Surface Type Cover, a fantastic keyboard with fully tactile keys that also doubles as a cover (although this will set you back a further $130).

The keyboard is a great feature for people who are blind as it allows easy navigation of the computer using the keyboard only, and also connects to the tablet with a strong magnet meaning you don't have to fumble to find the port and connect it - simply bring the Surface close to the keyboard and the magnet will do the rest! Talking of ports, the Surface also offers a full sized USB port, making it a breeze to connect a printer or transfer files with a USB drive).

The other great thing about the Surface 3 (and Surface Pro, Surface Pro 2 and Surface Pro 3) is that it runs a full version of Windows 8.1 - meaning if you are a current user of JAWS, NVDA, Window-Eyes, Zoomtext, MAGic or anything else that runs on a Windows platform you can install in on this tablet and be ready to get computing right away! Also, any programs you are used to using on your computer, be it something from the Microsoft Office suite, Google Chrome, Photoshop or anything else that will run on a Windows computer can be installed and run on the Surface.

The convenience of being able to pick up a tablet and be familiar with the OS and operation for someone who is blind or visually impaired is huge, as it means no need to familiarize yourself with a whole new operating system that may or may not have been designed with the needs of the blind and visually impaired in mind. As the Surface line has been around for a while now you can also save some money by buying used or refurbished devices, just make sure you buy The Surface Pro, Surface Pro 2, Surface Pro 3 or Surface 3 - The Surface and Surface 2 do not run full versions of Windows 8.1.

Here at The Chicago Lighthouse we are big fans of Zoomax's products as they combine great features and great prices. We're glad to see the Butterfly, our latest acquisition from them, is no exception. This 3.5" portable electronic magnifier features 5 color modes, 1.5x to 15x magnification and a freeze frame mode. The thing that we really like though (and that gives it its name!) is the butterfly shaped stand on the rear of the unit. This stand puts the screen at an angle towards your eyes, making the device very ergonomically well designed and comfortable to use. 

Check out our video about the Butterfly then call us at 1-800-919-3375 for more information! 

The Lighthouse has just received a new desktop CCTV from Zoomax, the company who introduced the Butterfly, Snow and Snow 7 HD electronic handheld magnifiers, and we like. 

The CCTV is called the Panda and comes in a striking black and white color scheme (hence the name!). Containing all the features you would expect such as 17 different color modes, 2x-70x magnification and a 19" monitor, the Panda is an attractive CCTV with a good image and is really easy to use.

And now for the best part (drum roll please).....the Panda retails for just $1695! That's a great price for a quality CCTV like this and makes it one of our favorite choices for an entry level, good quality unit. 

Easier to look after than a pet Panda, the Panda CCTV might be just what you or a loved one is looking for!

We've been talking a lot about accessible television recently, and today we came across another great service that can make it easier for people with a visual impairment or who are blind use their television - X1 from Comcast!

This service introduces some great features for the blind and visually impaired, such as an accessible television guide, accessible menus and accessible DVR control so you never have to miss your favorite shows again or find what channel they are on :-)

In addition, a problem to many people with a visual impairment may have finally been solved - Comcast have introduced a voice activated remote control! no more struggling to find the correct button, simply speak into the remote to have it change channels, start recording, suggest things to watch and a lot more. 

We think that this service has a lot of potential for helping people with visual issues access and use their television more easily, potentially increasing their quality of life and happiness. 

For more information on this service, visit http://www.comcast.com/x1


We are always getting questions about television and hope that our recent articles can help with some ideas on how to make watching television easier and more fun as a blind or low vision individual. As always, feel free to comment or call 312-997-3649 with any questions!

Let's face it, everyone likes to watch TV, but for the person with a visual impairment this can be a difficult task. For those with a central or peripheral scotoma it can be hard to see faces of the people on television, and easy to miss important action happening on the screen. 

Audio described television (which we talked about last week with regards to Netflix) can be one helpful tool for this problem. A narrator describes the action on the screen so even if you can't see it you can imagine what is happening through the narration. 

However there are other options out there. One device is magnifying television glasses designed to magnify at distance. Sit in your easy chair with these on and the television will appear twice as large, which may be just what you need to better see what's happening. 

If these are not enough, a spectacle mounted telescope can be prescribed which would allow you to magnify objects in the distance to an even greater extent - however bear in mind that as you magnify your field of view will become smaller, meaning you may not see the entire television screen at the same time and will have to move your head around as you are watching. 

Tom Perski from The Chicago Lighthouse, now 62 and having been legally blind since the age of 21, offers some advice from his own experience - "I have found the best way to watch television is to use a smaller television and sit closer to it" He says. "Many people think a larger television will help, but it is hard to see the whole screen. If you have a smaller television and sit right up, relative distance magnification makes it appear much larger"

Tom adds "If you have central vision loss it is more effective to use eccentric viewing (your peripheral vision) to look at things. I find it best to sit at an angle to the television in order to help with this".

So as you can say there are many possibilities. Call us today at 312-997-3649 to discuss what might work for your individual needs!

The market for small portable electronic magnifiers has just got better with the introduction of a new device - The Butterfly from Zoomax. Zoomax has already impressed us with it's Snow and Snow 7 HD  handheld electronic magnifiers, and the Butterfly continues their impressive track record.

Smaller than either of the Snow's, the Butterfly features a 3.5 inch screen and weighs only 4.2 ounces making it ideal for taking around in a pocket or a purse. The magnifier also boasts 1.5x - 15x magnification and 5 different color modes.

The magnifier also has a fold out stand shaped like butterfly wings so yo can rest it on whatever you are reading without having to hold it up.

We love this magnifier as it is simple to use and really portable. Zoomax has a history of making great electronic magnifiers, and this is certainly no exception! At $299 we think this is great value for money and an essential tool. Call 312-997-3649 for more information!

The Tunity app is a great new resource that is proving to be very popular, and even better it's free! But what is it, I hear you say? Tunity is an app that lets you stream audio from your favorite TV Channels through your phone. What's the point of this, I hear you say?! Imagine you are in a noisy sports bar and want to listen to the game they are showing on the TV - just start up the app and listen from your phone! Or imagine you are in the waiting room at the airport and want to listen to the TV's they always have playing but muted - start up the app and enjoy!

We think this is really good option for people with a visual impairment as it would allow them to listen to television channels in situations where they may not be able to see the television. Peter Tucic, my esteemed colleague, used the app at a bar over the weekend and said it worked great!

In order to start streaming the audio from the television simply point the phone at the television and take a picture of the screen. Once done, the audio will start playing through your phone. From the website (http://www.tunityapp.com/)

What is Tunity?

Tunity allows you to scan a muted Live TV and get the audio streamed directly to your phone.

What do I do?

Simply scan any Live TV for one second and the app will identify the channel and stream the synchronized audio.

Where can I use it?

It's perfect to use at a sports bar, gym, airport, waiting room, and even at home.

Does it work for every channel?

Currently the app supports 48 channels (Tap �Supported Channels� on the Settings page for an up-to-date list.)

The app is free on iOS and Android so why not give it a try!

As Cyanogen moves along a new path (apparently with help from Microsoft) phone maker OnePlus is working on its own flavor of Android, and now it has a name: OxygenOS. Unfortunately, it doesn't have much else beyond promises of going back to the drawing board with software that is "open, customizable, and free of bloat and unnecessary features." That's good to hear though, and matches up with the alpha build seen earlier this month. In classic OnePlus style, the tease just sets up another tease, and we're told more information is coming on February 12th, so mark your calendars.

After Cyanogen parted ways with OnePlus due to its exclusive deal with Micromax in India, OnePlus announced that it will coming out with its own ROM. The Alpha build of its own ROM was released by OnePlus on December 31 and got a fairly positive response from the community. 

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What if I say that while just sitting in a sofa in your room can can do your office work by changing your room compeletly into your office or, what if you can see beyond your Laptop's or PC screen.

Microsoft on Wednesday in a Windows 10 even announced it's new technology breakthrough "Microsoft Hololens". Watch this Beautiful Video:

A thing that will change the way you think about technology or see technology. It comes with a new innovation i.e. 3-D Holograms which changes your room into windows app store, minecraft or your office Virtually. 

It uses no wires no Smartphone no nothing. It has all of it's own i.e. CPU , GPU and a dedicated Holographic Processing Unit. Therefore needs nothing to run it has all of it. The best part is it is not bulky like Oculus rift. It combines the feature of both Google glasses and Oculus Rift or the VR Gear.

You can also draw something during a Skype call and the user on the other side can see it and also can help you fixing something. The company has plans to build software for HoloLens, but it will be, as with all things, up to third-party developers to build the killer apps that make the headset a must-have. Microsoft�s quest to reclaim its former status as the de facto computing platform provider continues.

It sounds very odd but Microsoft is now the most interesting hardware companies. Yes, it builds X-boxes, Surfaces, Smartphones, Large touch displays and now a nerdy Goggles.

Price? Formal launch date? Partners? First killer app? All of those are critical unknowns, and Microsoft has a long road ahead. But what it has built to date is impressive, fun and challenging.

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Source:TechCrunch

The Connect 12 from Humanware is a fantastic new device combining the convenience of tablet technology with low vision features. Based on an Android tablet, the Connect 12 runs the Prodigi software meaning good quality near magnification, fast and accurate OCR and ease of use. An optional extra is a wireless distance camera which can be used to magnify the whiteboard, look out the window or whatever else you might want to see.

Once you have finished on the Prodigi side it is easy to exit to the Android side and use Android's built in accessibility to access the internet, send and receive emails, take pictures, read books and so much more. Fantastic for students or those wanting a really portable do-it-all device, check out the video below to see it in action!

The Olympus OM-D E-M5 II – the successor of the Olympus OM-D E-M5, is a small 16MP camera made in Olympus’ compact range. Users of the OM-D E-M5 might think that they are still holding the same camera while holding the OM-D E-M5II.

This is because the most obvious upgrade by Olympus on the OM-D E-M5II is its more advanced movie capabilities and a multi-shot 40MP mode. For me the Olympus OM-D E-M5 II does not exactly feel like a big leap forward from the Olympus OM-D E-M5. So, if your E-M5 still works – keep it!

Nonetheless, Olympus has done all it can to tweak the camera with refinements and polishes there. 

These are the Olympus E-M5 II’s key features:

• 1080/60p shooting and 1080/30p at up to 77Mbps
• Improved 5-axis image stabilization in both stills and movie modes
• 10fps continuous shooting, 5fps with AF
• 16MP Four Thirds CMOS sensor
• 40 MP multi-exposure mode
• 1/8000th sec maximum shutter speed (1/16000th with electronic shutter)
• Built-in Wi-Fi
• Clip-on rotating, bounceable flash

	Olympus OM-D  E-M5	Olympus OM-D E-M5 II
Pixel count	16MP	16MP
Image stabilization	5-axis	5-axis
Stabilization (CIPA)	4 Stops	5 Stops
Max shutter speed	1/4000	1/8000 (1/16000 electronic)
On-sensor PDAF	No	No
Continuous shooting (without /with AF)	9fps / 3.5fps	10fps / 5fps
Flash	Clip-on Fixed direction	Clip-on Tilt/bounce/rotate
Viewfinder	1.44m dot LCD 1.15x mag	2.36m dot LCD 1.48x mag
Max video res/rate	1080/30p	1080/60p
Max bitrate	17Mbps	77Mbps
Mic socket	No	Yes
Rear screen	Tilt 3.0" OLED touchscreen 0.61m dots	Fully-articulated 3.0" touchscreen 1.04m dots
Wi-Fi	No	Yes
Accessory Port?	Yes	No
Environmental sealing?	Yes	Yes
Battery life (CIPA)	360	310
Weight	425g	469g
Dimensions	121 x 90 x 42mm	124 x 85 x 45mm

I will draw attention to the 40MP multi-shot mode. This feature uses the Olympus OM-D E-M5 II’s sensor-shift system to move the sensor to eight fractionally different positions and create a high-resolution composite image from these eight exposures.

Olympus has also greatly enhanced the E-M5 II’s movie recording capabilities by adding a 1080/60p shooting and an All-I, 77Mbps compression option for 30p capture.

Other movie recording features include focus peaking, uncompressed HDMI output, a mic input socket and timecode, amongst others.

The E-M5 II camera’s defaults uses an excellent Super Control Panel user interface. Olympus has also shifted from 'modal' display modes and now allows users to combine a histogram, level guide and highlight and shadow warnings in any combination.

Still, these changes to the camera, including the higher resolution viewfinder and screen, limit battery life - the E-M5 II is rated at 310 shots per charge, down from 360 shots for the original E-M5 camera.

However, in 'Quick Sleep' mode, which involves the camera turning off the screen as soon as you take your eye off it, this increases to 750 shots per charge.