Why Are These Reading Devices Different Than All Other Reading Devices? 4 Quick Answers

Amidst the mayhem of COVID-19, Passover has arrived. And while social distancing and lockdown of whole cities are still the norm, we find ourselves indoors with plenty of time to read. All those books on your bookshelf that you’ve been saving for a rainy day? Yup, now is the time to dust ’em off and whip ’em out. But for people with reading difficulties, from visual impairment to dyslexia, reading is not so simple. Enter the OrCam Read: a reading device that will pretty much change the life of anyone who has difficulty reading, and your perfect afikoman gift. And for fully blind people, you too can read more easily with the OrCam MyEye.

Click to Learn More About OrCam’s Amazing Devices

All Other Reading Devices Read Line By Line…

You may have heard of other reading devices that exist, such as the Iris Pen or the C-Pen. Did you know that they read text line by line? The user has to hold the pen and manually move it over the text from left to right to scan each word in the sentence. This can cause the reader to lose context, as words are read slowly and sentences are read in fragments.

In contrast, the OrCam Read uses a laser beam to scan an entire page of text at the click of a button. This sophisticated reading device reads back the text to the user instantaneously, with no pause or delay and without losing any comprehension of the subject matter.

The Second Question Is…Is OrCam Read Portable?

While other reading devices require a USB connection or some sort of wire, OrCam Read is handheld, wireless, and lightweight. Weighing under 2 ounces/under 50 grams, the OrCam Read is easy to bring with you wherever you go – from the library to the subway to the office and everywhere in between. It can be used in low-light environments such as in a dark theater to read a Playbill.

The OrCam Read also does not require an internet connection, so you can use it literally wherever you are.

The Third Question Is…What Makes OrCam MyEye So Revolutionary?

OrCam MyEye uses artificial intelligence and patented OCR (optical character recognition) technology to read text back to the user instantaneously and seamlessly.

Not only that, but you can also program it to remember and recognize the faces of your loved ones, co-workers and friends. This way, you will know when your granddaughter stops by on Passover, and when you head back to the office you can ask your coworker how their vacation was when the device recognizes them.

With OrCam MyEye, you can shop independently again with instant barcode reading, You can also grab the kitchen items you need with instant product identification. This works similar to face recognition. Once a product is saved into the device’s memory, it will identify it in the future when you hold it in front of the camera. Just look at the product while wearing the device on your eyeglasses and point, and it will tell you what product you are holding in your hands!

The Fourth Question Is…What Features Should I Be Particularly Excited About?

With the new OrCam MyEye, there are two super innovative features that no other product has:

1. Smart Reading
2. Orientation

With Smart Reading, the user simply says a command and the device listens and responds. For example, say “Read the headline” and the OrCam MyEye will find all headlines in the text and read them one after the other. If a user says “Speak louder” or “Speak softer,” the device will raise or lower the volume accordingly. There are many new commands to make users’ lives easier within the smart reading feature on the OrCam MyEye.

With Orientation, you can identify objects in your surroundings (including doors, chairs and cups), and let OrCam MyEye guide you to them. Just ask the device “What’s in front of me?” and it will tell you. The following video can help clarify how the Orientation feature works:

So, by now it should be clear why OrCam reading devices are different than all other reading devices, and why you should be considering them as a gift for your friends, family members, and even yourself this Passover! In this period where we celebrate freedom, let’s give our loved ones the freedom of independence!