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And now the podcast you've been waiting for. For the first time ever, we recorded our CSUN wrap-up show live from the Blind Bargains suite in San Diego. Join Shelly Brisbin, Ricky Enger, Chancey Fleet, Joe Steinkamp, and J.J. Meddaugh as they discuss the conference happenings in rapid-fire. We cover it all in just more than an hour, no really we move fast. Braille, wearables, entertainment, and much more.

DescribeIt is an NVDA add-on which uses Microsoft's Computer Vision API to identify graphics on web pages. J.J. speaks with Manshul Belani, Project Associate for the Indian Institute of Technology who explains how the add-on works as well as a system for identifying busses being tested in India.
Blind Bargains audio coverage of CSUN 2018 is generously sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind.

The Patriot ViewPoint is a new wearable that is ideal for people with macular degeneration. To learn more, Shelly speaks with John Palmer, CEO of Patriot Vision in this podcast.
Blind Bargains audio coverage of CSUN 2018 is generously sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind.

It's been a long road to get to this point, but Humanware is ready to ship their new and powerful 14-cell braille display. Joe speaks with Humanware's Andrew Flatres to learn about the 14-cell Brailliant BI along with the latest updates to the BrailleNote Touch in this podcast.
Blind Bargains audio coverage of CSUN 2018 is generously sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind.

5-key Shift is a gesture-based keyboard for iOS which can be used to type letters, numbers, and even emojis using simple swipe gestures. Joe speaks with Peter Tooch, CEO of Qwertyfree to learn how this keyboard works and why he thinks it could be a useful tool for blind users.
Blind Bargains audio coverage of CSUN 2018 is generously sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind.

The Compact 6 from Optelec is a 6-inch video magnifier which also includes full-page reading and OCR capabilities. Shelly speaks with VFO's Northeast Sales Director Bill Kilroy to learn more about this and other recent magnifiers from the company in this podcast.
Blind Bargains audio coverage of CSUN 2018 is generously sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind.

From a new afordable atomic watch to a higher-end talking digital voice recorder, LS&S had a lot of new gadgets at this year's conference. J.J. speaks with Jason Neeland, Senior Account Manager for LS&S who does a rapid-fire showcase of some of the cool new affordable gadgets and tools from the company.
Blind Bargains audio coverage of CSUN 2018 is generously sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind.

OrCam has released the MyEye 2.0, a smaller and more portable version of its wearable device which can read text, identify products and currency, and recognize faces. Shelly speaks with OrCam Regional Business Development and Sales Manager Anat Nulman and gets a live demo on this podcast.
Blind Bargains audio coverage of CSUN 2018 is generously sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind.

Vital has created a web application that teachers can use to create accesible graphics using vibrations, text-to-speech, and sounds along with a Samsung tablet. J.J. speaks with Corrine Mueller, Cofounder of Vital, to learn more about the company's webapp and service in this podcast.
Blind Bargains audio coverage of CSUN 2018 is generously sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind.

Transcribed by Grecia Ramirez

Almost live from beautiful San Diego, it s blindbargains.com coverage of CSUN 2018, featuring team coverage from across the Exhibit Hall and beyond, brought to you by the American Foundation for the Blind.
On the American Foundation for the Blind web site, you ll find everything you need to know about blindness and visual impairment. Search our national job bank, discover the history of cheap viagra, read our blog on current issues, find professional resources, and even more. Our site is completely accessible. Check it out at www.afb.org.
Now, here s Shelly Brisbin.
SHELLY BRISBIN: Welcome back to Blind Bargains coverage of CSUN 2018. I m Shelly, and we re talking with Eric Beauchamp from Humanware.
Welcome, Eric.
ERIC BEAUCHAMP: It s nice to be here. Thank you.
SB: So Eric, you are in charge of low-vision products for Humanware. And we re going to talk about the Prodigi Connect 12 update. The Prodigi Connect 12 has been out for a little while, so why don t you give people an idea of what that product is.
EB: Absolutely. Well, the Prodigi Connect 12 is a 12-inch tablet that docks into a stand, to have it at the right height for reading material, and also with a distance a wireless distance camera.
SB: And it s an Android tablet that does all of the things a CCTV device would do, but you also can use it as a full-fledged tablet; right?
EB: Absolutely. It s an Android device, like you said. It s Android 6.01, Marshmallow version. It has access to TalkBack and all the Play Store applications that a mainstream tablet would have.
SB: And what s new is the 3.0 version of the Prodigi software, so why don t you tell us what is new. What are the big new features?
EB: I am very proud of this feature. I call it my paperless CCTV, the world s first paperless CCTV. Why? Because the main feature is that we can import now, the PDF files into Prodigi and have them read out or change the contrast inside the Prodigi software. So that makes a big difference, and also when you import those PDFs, you can edit the PDFs using the handwriting tool. So you can either handwrite on the PDF on any pages in PDF document, you can highlight, or you can even use the keyboard a wireless keyboard and type in text. Kind of, if you want to enter information on a form, a PDF form, which you can do. You can just import into Prodigi and start filling out that form.
And there s other features. You want me to continue?
SB: Well, let me ask you so I have a couple quick things about PDFs. So does this work with any PDF, or are you actually OCRing the PDF? Are you counting on the text that might be accessible, it might not be? PDFs are varied, as you know.
EB: Yeah. That s a very good question, because they are very there s two versions of PDFs. You can have a PDF file which doesn t have text associated to the file. When text is associated to the file, Prodigi just uses that text to show, so there s no that diamond-edged text that we like to call, we use that text that is related in the PDF. If ever the PDF is a scanned picture, then we do run the OCR on it. And if it doesn t run automatically, we have a manual mode OCR run on it.
SB: So by default, if I use the PDF if I import the PDF, it s going to go ahead and try to figure out whether it needs OCR and then do it. It s not going to ask me, hey. Do you want to OCR it or not beforehand?
EB: No. It s going to do it all by itself automatically.
SB: And then, the editing tool -- is that does that this is my Android ignorance, because I m mostly an iOS person -- but is that editing tool part of Android, or is it a tool that you ve included with the Prodigi software?
EB: It was part of their last release, Prodigi 2.0. It s a tool that was included in Prodigi, so it s all accessible for people to use.
SB: And is that accessible via TalkBack, or do you have speech, or are you assuming that people who have enough vision to use the Prodigi Connect are going to be able to visually manipulate that software?
EB: I m assuming that people are going to have a bit enough vision to use the Connect, but we still have speech. You can use speech in Prodigi, and you can also use TalkBack through Prodigi.
SB: Great. Let s talk about some other features.
EB: Yes. It has a really nice feature that we added. We added a split screen, meaning that when you connect the distance viewing camera, it will detect that the distance camera is on, so you will see a full view, but you would hit a little button on the left of the screen, and it would split the screen in half horizontally. So you would have the distance application on top and the magnifier application on the bottom. And you can
SB: That s cool. I like that.
EB: It s lovely. So now, students or professionals can take notes at the same time as viewing in distance. So you can select either one. You can zoom in, zoom out and select in that application, and also, you can just tap in that application and go directly full-screen with that application. And we added a gesture, just a swipe gesture, from left to right. And that s going to toggle from distance to magnifier full-screen now. So that s a really cool feature.
SB: Yeah. That sounds like it s just tailor-made for classroom use.
EB: Not really. Professionals can use this in
SB: Sure.
EB: -- boardrooms or meetings to see people in front of them or at a distance and take notes at the same time.
SB: Great. Tell me about some more.
EB: We have included also, a Help application. Where we re going with this is I d like people to find their solutions by their own. So this Help application, for now, has two features. It has -- first of all, I am starting to do a lot of web capsules using YouTube. So web capsules are going to be one to two minutes long, explaining a feature in Prodigi and how to use Prodigi, that feature.
And also, you will have access to webinars, recorded webinars that I have already given. So these webinars are approximately half an hour to an hour, depending on the complexity of the webinars, but that gives you a head s up or a history of what was done previously. And also, there is a survey now that s going to be launched after seven days of use of the current version. And I limit myself to five questions concerning the new features that were added in the new version. Now, when the pop-up pops up, you have an option to say, yes. I want to answer the survey, and no. I don t want to answer the survey. If you do answer it -- not answer the survey, the pop-up will not show again. But you will be able to answer the survey afterwards by going in the Help application. And this is going to help us a lot in developing some more features for you guys to use.
SB: So the webinars are basically tutorials on Prodigi; is that right?
EB: Exactly.
SB: Okay.
EB: Yup.
SB: And the survey is aimed at which feature do you use, how do you use it, how do you like it, that kind of thing?
EB: Exactly.
SB: Okay. What else is new in 3.0?
EB: We have a new Android update also. So when you do the update, if you didn t do it off the bat, it s going to be divided into four. So the first update well, the first three updates are going to be for all the features in Prodigi. So that s a quick download, quick install, does it automatically, everything s done for you. And then, the last update is going to be an Android update, which is a bit longer. It s a 1.2 gigabyte file for Android, so that s big, so be sure to be at home and have a couple of minutes of free time. But that Android update, basically, we changed the algorithm for the autofocus. We have a better autofocus algorithm for you guys to use.
SB: So when you do an Android update, I m guessing that you try to bundle those Android updates with a feature update so that people aren t in the middle of usage, just like, oh. There s a random Android update. Is that right? Or what s your philosophy on that?
EB: If we do launch an Android update, there s going to be a notification that s going to pop up. And it s -- you can do it now or you can wait for later. That s no problem. It s not going to start downloading automatically.
SB: But it s not paired with, like, a Prodigi update, you know, necessarily? Like, if because
EB: Not necessarily.
SB: Okay. So 3.0 supports Marshmallow. Obviously, there are there s been NNO and Ps announced for this fall. What s your, sort of, road map for additional Android updates? And do you feel like you d need to do every one, or are you just waiting until you re adding additional features for the Prodigi?
EB: We re going to wait for additional features, but having an Android update going into another version, let s say for Nugget, Android N, that, we have to we re in talks with the hardware company that did this chipset on the tablet. So that s communication and collaboration of a couple companies all together to have that update.
SB: I see.
EB: So it s a pretty big update.
SB: Yeah.
EB: For now, there s nothing on the road map. The Marshmallow version is doing pretty good. They have a pretty good TalkBack support. I know that Android 8 has a lot of cool features in TalkBack for Android, but it s going to come. It s going to come.
SB: Yeah. And I we saw an Android preview not long ago, and there are a few cool low-vision features, actually, and some TalkBack updates too. So I guess, at some but it s really a function of the hardware manufacturer and whether that update is appropriate for that device.
EB: Exactly.
SB: So you mentioned that people is this a free update for people who already have a Prodigi Connect 12, or what s the process for somebody who wants to update an existing device?
EB: If you have a Prodigi Connect 12, all the updates are free, and you just down load them and install them.
SB: Great. And if I buy a Prodigi Connect 12 today, am I going to get 3.0? Is it available now?
EB: Yes.
SB: Great. What else is going on with low-vision in Humanware that we should know about?
EB: Well, I m very proud of my other line of products, which is the Explorer line. We have a 5-inch electronic magnifier and an 8-inch magnifier. And the difference between the two? Well, the screen, the size, of course. And the 8-inch will have distance viewing as well as close-up viewing, and it will be touchscreen also.
And last summer, we updated to another version, a newer version, which again, improves the autofocuses of the distance and viewing camera. And we bettered the image quality on the device.
SB: And is that a separate camera or the same camera for distance viewing on the 8-inch?
EB: On the 8-inch, there s two cameras. So it switches automatically to distance or close-up cameras.
SB: They re built in. It s not, like, an attachment that you have to
EB: Absolutely not. They re built in. Yes.
SB: Okay. Great. Awesome. So, like, more like a selfie camera and a back camera. I mean, in terms of the fact that they re built in, not in terms of the facing different directions.
EB: Exactly.
SB: Right. Right. Right.
EB: Yeah.
SB: Sorry. Sorry to throw selfies in there when it wasn t necessary.
So for people who are interested in Humanware low-vision products, how can they get in touch?
EB: Well, they can call us at Humanware. Our number is 1-800-722-3393. And you can go also at our website, www.humanware.com, and you have all the information there.
SB: Excellent. Eric, thanks so much for being on Blind Bargains.
EB: Thank you very much for welcoming me.
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Copyright 2018.
The Prodigi Connect 12 has been updated with some major new features including PDF reading and editing, a split-screen mode for the distance camera, and improved on-board help. Shelly speaks with Eric Beauchamp, Product Manager for Low Vision Devices for Humanware to learn about the latest features as well as their latest portable video magnifiers in this podcast.
Blind Bargains audio coverage of CSUN 2018 is generously sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind.

Put two gamers on the mic at the same time ans you have a video game lovefest that would go on for days if we had room for it. Joe talks with Ian Hamilton, Ian Hamilton, fresh off his time at co-directing the Gaming Accessibility Conference to talk the latest in accessible gaming including the momentum accessibility is gaining in recent months, and a possible new event for gamers in Europe.
Blind Bargains audio coverage of CSUN 2018 is generously sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind.

CAPE stands for Creating a Positive Environment, a BBC initiative to provide services and tools to help those working with invisible disabilities, especially those which may be less obvious on the surface. J.J. speaks with BBC's Head of Cognitive Design Sean Gilroy, and Senior UX Designer Leena Haque, to learn about the initiative in this podcast.
Blind Bargains audio coverage of CSUN 2018 is generously sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind.

The IBOS MusicXML Reader is a new free software program that translates MusicXML files into both braille music notation and text, allowing for blind musicians to interpret these files using a computer or braille display. J.J. speaks with Bo Alstrup and Daniel Gartmann from the Danish Institute for The Blind and Visually impaired to learn more and get a live demo in this podcast.
Blind Bargains audio coverage of CSUN 2018 is generously sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind.

Modern braille embossers do more than just embossing. ViewPlus has created the Tiger Box, a device that lets you control many of their current and previous models from the web on your computer or phone. Dan Gardner, CEO of ViewPlus tells J.J. how it works and also introduces the new cut-sheet Delta embosser in this podcast.
Blind Bargains audio coverage of CSUN 2018 is generously sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind.

The 2nd generation of the Talking LabQuest from Independence Science has gained a new superpower--creating graphs that can be printed with a ViewPlus braille embosser.
J.J. speaks with Ashley Neybert, Sales and Curriculum Specialist for Independence Science, to learn how this system can be a useful tool for scientists in the classroom and beyond.
Blind Bargains audio coverage of CSUN 2018 is generously sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind.

It's been awhile since we've checked in with Logickeyboard, a long-time maker of specialty keyboards including a variety of large print models. Shelly speaks with Alan Malkin of Logickeyboard to learn about the company's latest models for both Mac and PC users in this podcast.
Blind Bargains audio coverage of CSUN 2018 is generously sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind.

Designs for Vision has been in business for 57 years, in other words, they were correcting vision well before almost anyone else. Shelly speaks with Jody Klager, Director of Low-vision Services of Designs for Vision to learn about the company's custom prescription telescopes and microscopes for vision correction and enhancement.
Blind Bargains audio coverage of CSUN 2018 is generously sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind.

Until Dave Wilkinson came along, the [Ameircan Printing House for the Blind](http://www.aph.org never had a Director of Sales. J.J. talks to Dave to learn about his new role and also gets some updates on popular products such as the Orbit Reader 20 and the Graphiti graphical tablet.
Blind Bargains audio coverage of CSUN 2018 is generously sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind.

As has often been the case in recent years, Amazon has been quite busy with new features and updates. In this extended interview, Shelly catches up with Peter Korn, Director of Accessibility for Amazon Lab 126 to learn about and hear a live demo of enhancements to Amazon's Fire TV's including a stand-alone model, and forthcoming access to Amazon Locker for package deliveries.
Blind Bargains audio coverage of CSUN 2018 is generously sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind.

QD Laser is working on a vision correction solution they call Retinal Imaging Laser Eyewear or Retissa, which may help people with certain vision conditions. Shelly speaks with Nori Miyauchi, Business Development Manager of QD Laser to learn more in this podcast.
Blind Bargains audio coverage of CSUN 2018 is generously sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind.

The InsideOne braille tablet was back at CSUN with updated specs and more accurate braille input. It still runs Windows 10 and includes a 32-cell braille display along with a touchscreen with a built-in braille keyboard.  J.J. speaks with Eric Vioche of [InsideVision](insidevision-us.com) to learn about and try out the latest iteration of this Windows braille tablet.

Blind Bargains audio coverage of CSUN 2018 is generously sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind.

HIMS announced a new 20-cell BrailleSense Polaris at CSUN and we anted to learn more about it and how it stacks up with its bigger sibling.
J.J. is joined by Damian Pickering, Vice President of Sales for HIMS in the United States and Jenny Axler of HIMS in Korea to learn more about the Polaris and other recent updates to their products.

We present to you a Blind Bargains first, as two of our contributors team up for a special conference interview and a one-of-a-kind special tasting. J.J. and Shelly talk to Lindsay Yazzolino, Tactile Design Consultant for Touch Graphics about a talking tactile map and other tactile innovations, and then try to identify braille chocolates using their tongues.
Blind Bargains audio coverage of CSUN 2018 is generously sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind.

Altix is a Polish company focused on accessible tactile experiences including games and educational aids including a forthcoming talking and tactile globe. Shelly speaks with Janusz Mirowski, director of Altix to learn more about the globe and the other products on display at their booth.
Blind Bargains audio coverage of CSUN 2018 is generously sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind.

We've been following the progress of Be My Eyes since they launched in 2015, and now the service boasts over 1,000,000 users and volunteers who speak 182 languages. J.J. speaks with Hans Wiberg, Founder and Christian Erfurt, CEO of Be My Eyes about their recent partnership with Microsoft and other future opportunities for growth, as well as how Be My Eyes fits in the landscape with other paid services.
Blind Bargains audio coverage of CSUN 2018 is generously sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind.

AudioEye is one of many companies doing website and document remediation, but their approach seeks to help millions of sites at once with a focus on content management systems which are used by many website designers. Joe speaks with Todd Bankifeir, Chief Executive Officer of AudioEye to learn more in this podcast.
Blind Bargains audio coverage of CSUN 2018 is generously sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind.

The ScripTalk Station from En-Vision America has been identifying medications for over a decade, but soon iOS users will be able to do the same from their phones.
David Raistrick, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for En-Vision America, gives J.J. a live demo and talks about what's new in the I.D. Mate in this podcast.
Blind Bargains audio coverage of CSUN 2018 is generously sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind.

NuEyes bills themselves as electronic glasses for low vision. The lightweight glasses run Android and include features like bar code scanning and OCR. Shelly speaks with NuEyes Co-founder Justin Moore to learn more about this wearable and what sets it apart from the rest.
Blind Bargains audio coverage of CSUN 2018 is generously sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind.

The Buzzclip is a device which can be used to track movement or lack of movement in front of you, now up to 3 meters away.
J.J. speaks with Arjun Mali of iMerciv about the latest iteration of this wearable which includes enhanced range and a new cane mount.
Blind Bargains audio coverage of CSUN 2018 is generously sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind.

The ElBraille Windows braille computer has been getting some updates, and both the 14 and 40-cell models are now available for their respective 4th generation Focus braille displays. J.J. speaks with Adi Kushnir from the Elita Group to learn about the latest developments with the 14 and 40-cell models, available from Freedom Scientific. You can find out more information about the device on ElBraille's home page.
Blind Bargains audio coverage of CSUN 2018 is generously sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind.