Intel today launched the Intel Reader, a handheld text-to-speech e-reader with the ability to digitize printed text and then read it to users.
"We are proud to offer the Intel Reader as a tool for people who have trouble reading standard print so they can more easily access the information many of us take for granted every day, such as reading a job offer letter or even the menu at a restaurant," Intel Digital Health Group VP Louis Burns noted in a statement.
Powered by Intel's Atom CPU architecture, the Reader captures images of printed text using the device's high-resolution camera, and then the text is turned into digital format.
The device weighs around 1 lb., and has buttons and voice-operated features, allowing a wider variety of people to use the device. The Reader has a 4GB SSD, 5-megapixel autofocus camera, and can save printed text as MP3 files.
Intel also has the Portable Capture Station device, designed so it can hold the reader in a stationary position, with large amounts of data captured at a single time. The additional tech product costs $399.
The California-based company designed the Intel Reader -- with a $1,499 MSRP -- for users who have vision problems or are unable to read efficiently. Studies indicate there are around 55 million people who have a variety of medical issues that prohibit them from being able to read efficiently. Intel hopes its $1,500 Reader will be able to help such people access text information and has already been applauded from members of the blind and dyslexic organizations.
