SANTA CLARA, Calif.—Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC) is launching the Intel Reader, a mobile handheld device that reads text to people who have dyslexia or other specific learning disabilities, or have vision problems such as low-vision or blindness. About the size of a paperback book, the Intel Reader converts printed text to digital text, and then reads it aloud to the user. It combines a high-resolution camera with an Intel Atom processor, allowing users to point, shoot and listen to printed text.

When the Intel Reader is used together with the Intel Portable Capture Station, large amounts of text, such as a chapter or an entire book, can be easily captured for reading later. Users will have convenient and flexible access to a variety of printed materials, helping to not only increase their freedom, but improve their productivity and efficiency at school, work and home.

The Intel Reader has been endorsed by the International Dyslexia Association as an important advance in assistive technology. Additionally, Intel is working with the Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs, the Council for Exceptional Children, Lighthouse International, the National Center for Learning Disabilities and the National Federation of the Blind to help reach and address the needs of people who have difficulty reading print.

The Intel Reader is being marketed through the Intel Digital Health Group. It will be available in the U.S. through select resellers, including CTL, Don Johnston Incorporated, GTSI, Howard Technology Solutions and HumanWare. The device, which been classified by FDA as a medical device, will also be distributed by eyecare professionals, according to Ben Foss, director of access technology at Intel and the originator of the Intel Reader concept. ■