FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
Sales Contact: Otis
Wilson, Inside Sales
Media Contact: Brad
Davis
Blind/Low Vision Group
800-444-4443 or 727-803-8000
www.FreedomScientific.com
Freedom
Scientific Helps Blind Identify
Over One Million Products
ScanTalker™ 2.0 Bar Code Solution Released
(St. Petersburg,
Florida, March 30, 2006) – Freedom Scientific announced today
the release of ScanTalker version 2.0, a powerful bar code scanning
application for the PAC Mate™ BX and QX series. Featuring an
extensive product database and support for omni-directional scanning,
ScanTalker
enables users who are blind to independently access in speech and
braille information about products they purchase.
ScanTalker users
can identify common items found on store shelves using the UPC bar
code on the product labels. The Metrologic omni-directional, USB-powered
handheld bar code reader included with ScanTalker is easy for a blind
person to use. Simply point the reader at the product, and the bar
code is scanned regardless of its orientation relative to the reader.
ScanTalker’s
built-in database contains over 1.2 million UPC codes in the following
categories:
- More than 285,000 grocery and over-the-counter pharmaceutical items
- More than 320,000
CDs and DVDs
- More than 90,000
health and beauty items
- More than 500,000 general
merchandise goods
To identify an
item, simply connect the bar code reader to the PAC Mate’s
USB port, insert the ScanTalker CompactFlash® card into an available
CompactFlash slot, scan the item, and if the bar code is matched
with an item in the database, the product brand and name will be
spoken. ScanTalker will also provide additional information found
on the label that sighted people sometimes take for granted, like
preparation instructions. If a bar code can not be matched in the
database, the user can manually add information about the product.
This information will be available next time the item is scanned.
“This is
incredible,” said Ron Miller, a Product Manager at Freedom
Scientific who uses the product. “With previous bar code readers,
I really couldn’t line up on bar codes and make them work.
With the omni-directional scanner and ScanTalker, I can tell in seconds
whether I have a can of peaches or a can of dog food. It even tells
me the dosage for over-the-counter remedies and the cast and rating
of my DVDs.”
ScanTalker sells for
$985.00 and requires a PAC
Mate BX or QX running release 4.0. To place
an order, contact Freedom Scientific at 800-444-4443 or 727-803-8000.
Users of ScanTalker 1.0
will want to visit the ScanTalker
update page for a free download and
information on obtaining the Metrologic omni-directional bar code
scanner.
About Freedom
Scientific
Freedom Scientific is the world's leading manufacturer of assistive technology
products for those who are blind and vision impaired and products for the special
education and learning disability markets.
Freedom Scientific®,
ScanTalker™, and PAC Mate™, are either trademarks
or registered trademarks in the United States and/or other countries.The
names of companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of
their respective owners.
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