在线英语听力室

VOA慢速英语2014 智能手机手机应用程序能给盲人“光明”

时间:2014-09-27 22:23:08

搜索关注在线英语听力室公众号:tingroom,领取免费英语资料大礼包。

(单词翻译)

 

Smartphone App Gives 'Sight' to the Blind 智能手机手机应用程序能给盲人“光明”

A new computer program is being praised as a life-changer for blind people. The new program is known as the KNFB Reader app. It can help users listen to an audio read-back -- the sound -- of printed material.

Blind people say the KNFB Reader app will make life much easier. They say it will help with everything from reading restaurant menus to studying papers in the classroom.

The application software program costs $99. It is the product of a long relationship between the National Federation1 of the Blind and Ray Kurzweil. He is a computer scientist and an employee of Google, which specializes in Internet-related services.

The Google website says the technical development of the app resulted from the work of K-NFB Reading Technology Incorporated and Sensotec NV, a company in Belgium.

Ray Kurzweil demonstrated the app at the National Federation of the Blind's yearly meeting in June.

The KNFB Reader makes use of new pattern recognition and image-processing technology, and new hardware for smartphones. People using the app can adjust, or change the position, of the camera and read printed materials out loud.

Users say the app has given some people greater independence. The Reuters news service says they made the comments on social media sites such as Twitter. One user, named Gordon Luke, reported that he was able to use the app to read his voting card for the recent referendum in Scotland.

Ray Kurzweil told Reuters that the app will be available for Android mobile devices in the coming months. He said he may also build a version of the app for Google Glass. Google Glass is a small computer screen that can be connected to eyeglasses. It is able to take photographs, record video and play sound.

Ray Kurzweil added that “Google Glass makes sense because you direct the camera with your head."

Mr. Kurzweil started working on what he called "reading machines" in the early 1970s. The idea came after speaking with a blind person who expressed frustration2 with the lack of technology to assist blind people.

Mr. Kurzweil's first reading machine was the size of a washing machine. It cost $50,000.

The technology has continued to improve over the past 20 years. The new smartphone app can recognize and take printed material in one language and change it to another language. But it was not available on a mobile device until now. In the past, it cost more than $1,000 to use the software app with a camera and a mobile phone.

The release of the KNFB Reader app comes at a time when the technology industry is facing criticism. Critics say the industry is too concerned about making software programs for sharing photos and video games.

In San Francisco, activists3 have blocked buses operated by companies such as Google and Apple. They also have protested near the homes of some technology company executives. They say these business leaders are increasing the cost of living and not doing enough to help fix the problems of San Francisco.

Bryan Bashin leads the non-profit group Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired4 in San Francisco. He is also blind. He says the KNFB app shows the positive impact that technology can have. He says there are times in his life when he wishes the KNFB app were available to him. He adds that the ability to gain information quickly with something that fits in your pocket at a fast speed will be, what he calls, “a game changer."


分享到:


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 federation htCzMS     
n.同盟,联邦,联合,联盟,联合会
参考例句:
  • It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
  • Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。
2 frustration 4hTxj     
n.挫折,失败,失效,落空
参考例句:
  • He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
  • He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。
3 activists 90fd83cc3f53a40df93866d9c91bcca4     
n.(政治活动的)积极分子,活动家( activist的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
  • Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》
4 impaired sqtzdr     
adj.受损的;出毛病的;有(身体或智力)缺陷的v.损害,削弱( impair的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • Much reading has impaired his vision. 大量读书损害了他的视力。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • His hearing is somewhat impaired. 他的听觉已受到一定程度的损害。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

本文本内容来源于互联网抓取和网友提交,仅供参考,部分栏目没有内容,如果您有更合适的内容,欢迎 点击提交 分享给大家。