WHAT THE TECH

New Device Helps Blind Read; Given The News, Are They Sure They Want To?

The good news for blind people is that a new handheld device converts print to audio, so now they can hear what other people see every day.

The device comes from inventor Ray Kurzweil, of Kurzweil keyboard fame.

"It's always been considered desirable to have a reading machine that a blind person could carry along with them," Kurzweil said. "We're getting phenomenal feedback."

No doubt his “phenomenal” enthusiasm indicates that he, like many an inveterate inventor, has learned that life’s most difficult challenge is not coming up with earthshaking ideas; it’s getting them to market successfully. The device, which retails for about $3,500, will be sold though Kurzweil Education Systems, Inc.

People who’ve tried it report that they enjoy being able to read printed matter they couldn't before they held the device in hand.

The question is, once they get a look at the news we’re currently dealing with, will they decide they were better off not being able to read and turn the masterful invention off?

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