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Apple to shrink connector for iPhone 5 3:42am EDT NCAA bans Penn State from bowl games for 4 years, $60 million fine 9:23am EDT Shots fired from Egypt at Israeli troops, none hurt 22 Jul 2012 Syria says could use chemical arms against foreign intervention | 12:40pm EDT 'Dark Knight' sales below forecasts after shooting 22 Jul 2012 Discussed 223 Mexico urges U.S. to review gun laws after Colorado shooting 140 Fourteen killed in Denver movie theater shooting 117 Syrian battles rage in capital, Russia pressed Watched Brain research confirms dangers of boxing Sun, Jul 22 2012 Latest solar flare dazzling but not dangerous Fri, Jul 20 2012 Brian Lam on rewarding depth over volume Mon, Jul 16 2012 App aims to improve accessibility for visually impaired Tweet Share this Email Print Related News No getting lost at Smithsonian with app Thu, Jul 12 2012 RPT-Social networks scan for sexual predators, with uneven results Thu, Jul 12 2012 Analysis: Is Twitter building ad business at expense of innovation? Wed, Jul 11 2012 Privacy risk from ads in apps rising: security firm Mon, Jul 9 2012 UPDATE 2-Privacy risk from ads in apps rising -security firm Mon, Jul 9 2012 Related Topics Tech » By Natasha Baker TORONTO | Mon Jul 23, 2012 5:01am EDT TORONTO (Reuters) - Whether it is getting off a bus or reading a menu, a new app aims to make life easier for the blind or visually impaired. Called Georgie, the app for Android devices enables people with little or no sight to accomplish daily activities that could be difficult for them. "The great thing that attracted me to (creating the app) was this notion of gaining confidence, and also having reassurance that you could press a button and get help if you were lost," said Roger Wilson-Hinds, co-founder of Screenreader, a nonprofit based in Peterborough, England, that developed the app. Users navigate the app's features by passing their fingers over various options which are read aloud. Lingering on a particular option produces a beep, indicating that the option has been selected. The app can make calls or send texts but it also provides location-based technologies, which can let users know, for example, when the next bus is coming, which direction they're facing, or the ability to set location-based reminders. "You can actually record a GPS-tagged voice label to say ‘dangerous steps' and as you're approaching it the phone will tell you that there are dangerous steps there," explained Alan Dean Kemp, the chief technology officer. Kemp added that the app is not meant to replace a seeing-eye dog, but to provide added assistance. About 39 million people worldwide are blind, according to the World Health Organization, and 285 million people are visually impaired. For Wilson-Hinds, who is blind, one of his biggest struggles has been using public transit. "I used to struggle to know when to get off the bus every evening when I was coming home from work," he said, adding that the app can give users information on upcoming bus stops while they're traveling. It also reads out text, such as ingredients on a label, using a technology called optical character recognition (OCR). Wilson-Hinds said what makes the app unique is the way it is designed for the less tech-savvy person and the support it provides. "We've brought them all together into a little bundle so that you're not switching in and out of apps," he said. Screenreader is also selling Georgie smartphones, Android-based Samsung phones that come pre-installed with the Georgie app. "The settings are such that you turn on the phone and the app starts. You can't get out of it unless you go through a sort of unlock feature to do so," explained Kemp. At 150 pounds ($230), the app is more expensive than most apps but Kemp said the price includes support for the app. "You get a help line, which will set up your contacts for you if you want and even come and train you, so there's a big support mechanism around it," he said. The app is available worldwide in English. All profits generated by the app go to a charity called Communication for Blind and Disabled People, of which Screenreader is a subsidiary. (Editing by Patricia Reaney and Todd Eastham) Tech Tweet this Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. 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