LiveWire Low Vision Issue 36 Summer 2015

1 Choice is no choice2 choices is a dilemma3 choices is freedom

ISSUE 36 SUMMER 2015

Highlights

How to choose an optical magnifier..2

RealSAM......3

The ClearView revolution.....4,5

Buying Guide .6

New Low Vision Service .8

Ask us about new portable options like the Compact Touch HD

Want a trial in your home? No problem!

Contact us

NSW 02 9479 3100

VIC 03 9545 4100

QLD 07 3831 4894

info@quantumrlv.com.au

quantumrlv.com.au

What are your choices?

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Welcome to the Summer 2015 edition of the LiveWire Low Vision newsletter. In this edition we are going to be talking about choices.

As usual we bring you the very latest news on Low Vision aids from around the world. This reflects our policy of providing the widest possible choice to our clients, and to not being aligned to a single manufacturer. Our goal is to ensure you can choose from the very best options whenever or wherever they appear.

However with all this choice how do people decide which vision aid will best meet their needs? Where do I start? Which device is best for me? What is the best value?

Several guides are included in this edition to help answer these questions, however dont forget that your best option is to call us and speak to one of our qualified Low Vision Consultants. After 30 years in the business you will find we probably already have the answers!

And thanks to all for your feedback and support!

How to choose an optical magnifier

Optical Magnifiers

Advantages:

Very lightweight

Portable in handbag or pocket

Simple technology

Familiar to older people

Reasonably cheap

Disadvantages:

Not very strong magnification; 3x - 12x

Field of view decreases as magnification increases, meaning fewer words can be seen at higher magnification

At higher magnification the magnifier and object need to be held close to the face. Not easy for some people.

Curving and distortion at edges

Poor contrast

High glare

Electronic Magnifiers Hand Held

Advantages:

Variable magnification levels

Increased field of view

No distortion

Range of display options to reduce glare or increase contrast

Disadvantages

More expensive

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However, the most important thing you need to do is try them out. Everybody is unique and what suits your friend or neighbour will not necessarily suit you.

Here is a simulation of reading a newspaper using an optical magnifier and an electronic magnifier.

The original

Viewed with a 3X optical magnifier

Viewed with an electronic magnifier at 3X

New Aussie Invention brings you talking newspapers and much more!

RealSAM is a handheld talking device that will read your newspapers, books, podcasts of your favourite shows, and even tell you the weather, the time, or your location. It is incredibly simple to use and will amaze many people.

Why will it amaze?

Because to get RealSAM to work for you, all you have to do is talk to it; you just speak in your normal voice and ask for what you want. For example, you can say read me the ABC news and RealSAM will read out the latest headlines and stories from the ABC. RealSAM can read to you while lying in bed, walking in the park, on the train, or anywhere you wish.

There is only one button and no computer involved, and you can use it anywhere in Australia that is covered by the Optus network. RealSAM grabs articles from the ABC News feed every five minutes, so you can stay on top of the latest stories as they happen.

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Using RealSAM you can access a wide range of newspapers provided by the Vision Australia Library such as The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, Financial Review, The Australian, The Courier Mail, The Herald Sun, and The Advertiser. You need to be a member of the Vision Australia Library service in order to access their newspaper content (its free to join!).

In addition, RealSAM can access on-line book libraries like Project Gutenberg (30,000 books) and Bookshare (150,000 books). RealSAM will go to these libraries and find the books that you ask for, store them, and read them back to you whenever and wherever you want.

RealSAM can also tell you the time, date and the weather forecast for your current location, or any city around the world. You can also ask about your current location. Just ask, Where am I?, and RealSAM responds with a street address and the nearest cross street. Then you can say, "What's around here?" for RealSAM to tell you about the points of interest nearby.

RealSAM allows you to listen to a huge range of radio program podcasts from around the world. New features are being added all the time, and RealSAM will automatically update itself without you having to do a thing.

RealSAM is specifically designed for people who are blind, have low vision or a print disability. It is incredibly easy to use and only costs $439 plus a small monthly subscription (cheaper than buying the paper each day!)

The start of a revolution: The C series magnifiers from Optelec

Regular readers of LiveWire Low Vision will know that there are new products regularly arriving, all with significant improvements and new features. However, rarely do we describe them as being revolutionary.

With the arrival of the new C series of ClearView magnifiers from Optelec, we are happy to use the word revolutionary to describe them.

The ClearView C, like all good design, is deceptively simple. The stand that holds the camera and screen is shaped like a C and sits to the side of the screen. This small design change has huge implications.

Firstly, there is nothing at the back, meaning you can read long documents from the top of the page to the bottom. One of the most common uses of video magnifiers is to read the newspaper, and now you can do that without being an origami expert! Even for regular A4 documents you no longer have to pull the

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reading table into your stomach when you navigate to the top of the document. This is unique among desktop video magnifiers.

Secondly, the ClearViews C-shaped design provides you with much more working space underneath the camera. This really helps people who want to continue to do their hobbies, like knitting, embroidery, stamp collecting and a host of other activities that need desk space.

All of the ClearView C series have a simple control panel that is detachable (perfect to get it out of the way when reading a broadsheet newspaper). It can be used in simple mode, for the one-button simplicity that has made Optelec famous, and which many non-technical users prefer.

The ClearView C series: Leading features at lower prices

Or it can be easily lifted and flipped around to use in an advanced mode, where a wide range of controls are available.

For example, if you have your ClearView C connected to a computer there is a single button switch in the advanced mode to change the display between your computer or your magnified screen.

Other features for the advanced user include guidelines to assist with reading, and the ability to change the brightness, colour and contrast settings. These controls are safely out of sight and out of mind for the average user.

The ClearView C series starts with a standard 22 screen, and there is an optional 24 widescreen, which has the sharpest image of any video magnifier on the market. Both screens are adjustable up and down and can tilt forward or back to ensure optimal viewing.

We have saved the best news till last! Starting at just $3735 the ClearView C series represents the best value video magnifiers on the market today. Your choice has just become a whole lot easier!

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The ClearView C Speech!

For several years now we have had video magnifiers that also read text out to you. However, there has been a huge difference in how well different models work or how easy they are to operate. Optelec have always had a goal of making solutions that are easy to use, and they achieved that with the ClearView Speech.

They have now up-dated this model to the new ClearView C format. The new ClearView C Speech can instantly convert any printed text into speech. It makes it possible to have access to information in a way that is most comfortable and easy for your individual needs. Especially when you have long texts to read; now you can choose to have them read out to you.

To scroll through documents, swipe with your finger on the touch screen and select the text of your interest by simply pointing at a paragraph or word. It is that easy.

The ClearView C Speech displays full pages and automatically identifies the document layout. This ensures that you can navigate quickly; you always know where you are and never lose your place.

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Choosing the right electronic magnifier!

No single solution.

When looking at magnification options always keep in mind the range of activities that you struggle with because of Low Vision. Most people will need at least a couple of different devices to cover all their needs. People typically start with the optical magnifier from the discount store or Post Office. Usually having only low magnifica