Mobile Magnifier for Seniors with Weak Vision

Several posts ago, I blogged about an AT&T service that is aimed towards seniors and persons who have disabilities. These services are offered on mobile phone for seniors and they aim to make handsets more user friendly towards the elderly. I blogged about Mobile Speak a few months ago and I felt that its time to talk about AT&T's Mobile Magnifier.

But before that let me give a quick recap on Mobile Speak. AT&T's Mobile Speak service for seniors is a a powerful full-fledged screen reader with an easy-to-learn command structure, intuitive speech feedback in several languages. This service automatically detects information that the blind user should know, just as a user with sight would easily find highlighted items or key areas of the screen at a glance. You can click here to see my full post on Mobile Speak.

Now let's move on to Mobile Magnifier. Like mobile Speak, this application is designed to help make good mobile phones for seniors. It is is a flexible, full-screen magnification application that supports low and high resolution screens. Mobile Magnifier can be used with or without speech feedback.

As it's name indicates, mobile Magnifier acts like a magnifying glass and enlarges the information a a mobile phone's screen. This magnification software is compatible with a wide range of mobile devices. A mobile phone equipped with this application would be a suitable mobile phone for seniors.

Here are the main features of this cell phone service for seniors:

• Magnification levels from 1.25x to 16x
• Font-smoothing for easier readability
• Three different layouts: full-screen, split and distributed view
• Different color schemes, including inverted color
• Automatic panning and cursor-tracking
• Automatic zoom function that detects areas of interest on the screen

Here are the devices that currently support this service (Additional compatible devices will be available soon):

• Nokia N75
• Nokia E62
• Cingular 3125
• Samsung BlackJack (Windows Mobile version 5)
• Pantech Duo (Windows Mobile version 6)

I hope that many similar programs and applications will be developed by mobile phone makers and developers. Paul Schroeder, vice president of Programs and Policy, American Foundation for the Blind says that, "There is a real need for more wireless options for Individuals who have vision loss.We value AT&T for its leadership in addressing the needs of this community." Other companies should follow AT&T's lead.

Tune in to to this blog for more mobile phone for seniors news and info.

Pantech Breeze: AT&T's New Cell Phone for Seniors

It seems that the mobile phone for seniors market has become active in the last few weeks. After the Life Phone was recently announced, AT&T launched a handset that is suitable for senior mobile phone users. Let me introduce the Pantech Breeze from AT&T.

There have been a few updates on when AT&T will launch the
Pantech Breeze After a few months of waiting, the carrier has finally released the device and has marketed it as a handset suited for seniors. Let us examine the elements that make this mobile device a good cell phone for the elderly.

The Pantech Breeze is an uncomplicated or basic mobile phone. It has a clean and uncluttered design, simplified menus, over sized display, large keypad and quick-call keys. Clearly, its a useful device for people who want an easy way to stay in touch with friends, loved ones and caregivers. I don't think I need to explain why a simple or basic phone is best for seniors.

AT&T's Pantech Breeze is also part of the carriers "Universal Design" approach. This approach the practice of designing products and applications that are usable by the most customers possible. This means that application developers and handset manufacturers were encouraged to consider the needs of seniors or customers who have disabilities when creating products and services. The Pantech Breeze is an example of a device design with this approach.

Here's a statement from an AT&T representative that would further explain the Universal Design concept that was used in the making of the Pantech Breeze:

"Universal Design helps define important design criteria to meet the wants and needs of as many of our customers as possible. The Pantech Breeze is a result of our efforts to meet these criteria and offer a great-looking phone that's a breeze to use for everyone — from tweens to great-grandparents."

These are the fruits of the Universal Design being applied to the creation of the Pantech Breeze.

• Simplified Menu : senior users can easily navigate the phone's features with the simplified "breeze menu," which prioritizes the features that customers want to access most.
  

• 1-2-3 Quick-Call Keys : The Breeze has 3 preprogrammable quick-call buttons that are located below the screen. By selecting one of the three quick-call contacts and pressing the send button can easily tart a call.

• Easy-to-Use Buttons - When users press the Pantech Breeze's oversized buttons, the buttons respond with a tactile click. The amount of time the keys remain illuminated after use is extended tp benefit seniors with weak eyesight.
  

• Large Font - The menu screens on the device use a highly visible large font for greater visibility. The font of SMS messages is also enlarged to aid weak eyes.

• Clear and Loud Speakerphone - the design of the Breeze takes seniors with poor hearing into consideration by offering a large, dedicated button starts and stops speakerphone use.
  

• Audible Keys - mistake-free dialing for those with limited sight is also offered by the Breeze. this is possible through the option to have audio accompany numeric keystrokes.

I guess it should be clear by now that the Pantech Breeze is a mobile phone for seniors. It has the attributes that are design to make communication by mobile phone a breeze for seniors.

Mobile Speak: a Software Designed for Cell Phones for Seniors

In my last post I described AT&T efforts to reach senior cell phone users through mobile phones and services. One of the ways the company reached out to elderly companies was through the adaptation of the Universal Design. This led to the creation of good cell phones for seniors as well as other products and applications that can be beneficial to senior citizens.

One of these products senior-friendly products is called Mobile Speak. I hope to tackle this feature and see how it can help the elderly to use cellphones for seniors and other mobile phone related products.

Mobile Speak is a software designed to enhance the functionality of some of AT&T's most popular wireless devices for users with who are blind or have low vision. This type of softwares will obviously benefit seniors because elderly people have poor vision and some have unfortunately lost them due to sickness or old age.

AT&T's Mobile Speak is a powerful full-fledged screen reader that offers an easy-to-learn command structure. This software also offers intuitive speech feedback in several languages, and Braille support that can be used with or without speech.

This special screen reader for mobile phones for seniors automatically detects information that the blind user should know in a similar way a user with full sight would easily find highlighted items or key areas of the screen at a glance.


Mobile Speak supports these applications and functions:

• Speed dial, call lists and contacts
• Text messaging
• Calendar, tasks, notes, and calculator
• Internet browser
• Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Voice Recorder, Media Player, voice speed dial and voice command
• Phone/device settings, profiles, alarms, and ringtones

These are the curently supported devices which can be good mobile phones for seniors:

• Cingular 3125
• Nokia N75
• Nokia E62
• Samsung Blackjack (with Windows Mobile version 5)
• Pantech Duo

There is no doubt that this software can enhance any mobile device that is designed for senior citizens. The ability to make it easier for seniors to read information is a key attribute for any cell phone for seniors. I will feature more softwares and services that are meant for seniors in my next posts.