THE KURZWEIL?NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND READER 
FACT SHEET

* Combining a state-of-the-art digital camera with a powerful personal data assistant, the ?camera that talks? puts the best available character recognition software together with text-to-speech conversion technology--all in a single, handheld device.  

* The Kurzweil?National Federation of the Blind Reader has the ability to dramatically enhance the lives of millions of people who have difficulty seeing or reading print by providing access like never before.  

* Users need only hold the Reader over print?a restaurant menu, an airline ticket, a business card, a school assignment, an office memo?and in seconds he or she hears the contents of the printed document played back in clear synthetic speech.

* The National Federation of the Blind helped fund the development and production of the Reader and helped plan and design it, especially with respect to the user interface. As many as 500 NFB ?Pioneers? have tested and influenced the design of the Reader.

* Ray Kurzweil, who partnered with the NFB to develop the Reader, has been called the ?Thomas Edison of the 21st century,? one of "16 revolutionaries who made America," the ?restless genius,? the ?ultimate thinking machine,? and by Bill Gates, ?the best person I know at predicting the future of artificial intelligence.?  Kurzweil is chief executive officer of KNFB Reading Technology, Inc.

* The Reader reads most printed documents, address labels, package information and instructions with ease. It offers readers a choice of hearing a full page, or just a few lines for identification purposes. 

* The Reader can store thousands of printed pages with easily obtainable extra memory and users can transfer files to their desktops and laptop computers or Braille notetakers.

* The Reader reads documents from computers or other devices.

* The Reader has a headphone jack so users don?t have to disturb others in close proximity. 

* The Reader costs about the same as many flat screen televisions today, yet has the power to revolutionize a person?s life (expected list price $3,495).

* Readers go on sale beginning July 1, 2006.  Those interested in purchasing the Kurzweil?National Federation of the Blind Reader can call (877) 708-1724 or visit www.nfb.org.  They may also buy them in the Kahmer Pavilion, located in Atrium 1, third level, at the Hilton Anatole hotel in Dallas during the NFB?s convention.  

* Sales will be handled by Kurzweil Educational Systems, Inc., based in Bedford, Massachusetts, and its national distribution channel of dealers.