Kinny Cheng from iMobile posts a review of the new Alva MPO mobile phone/pda for the blind. Along with other products, the device offers a Braille “display” for the visually impaired.
Packed with features common to traditional mobile phones and PDAs the device includes 20 Braille cells, an 8-dot Braille keyboard, a high quality speech synthesizer, and ALVA’s Smart-Control user interface. It comes with tri-band compatibility, built-in SMS text messaging, and PDA features such as alarm, note taker, agenda planner, calculator.
Not only that, the MPO comes with an Internet browser, GPS (Global Positioning System), Daisy reader, an MP3 player and the ability to send and receive email.
The mobile/pda will be available in June.
So what does this mean for the developer of any internet website? Well, we should start developing with accessiblity and also considering the blind.
The Royal National Institude for the Blind also comment on the device
www.rnib.org.uk/techshare/phone_weij.htm
The Alva Braile website
www.alvabraille.com and some technical information on the MPO.