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WizCom
Technologies is using PocketBabil TTS system in the Dutch Reading Pen II project
Jerusalem, May 30 2002 - WizCom
Technologies Ltd. (WizCom)
(NeuerMarkt: WZM, WKN: 915856),
and Lexima BV are pleased to
announce the launch of a new project for the development of a Dutch
Quicktionary, Reading Pen II. The
Dutch Reading Pen II, based on WizCom’s second-generation
hand-held scanner, will be
designed to provide "assistive technology" for approximately 2% of the
Dutch
school population with dyslexia
who fall into the “learning disabled” category. The success of the English
language Reading Pen II in the US
and UK has prompted requests for additional language products. The
Dutch Reading Pen II is the first
such product to be developed. “WizCom is very excited at the outset of
this new project”, says Raz
Itzhaki, acting President at WizCom Technologies. “Since the Reading Pen
has been identified as a product
required world wide, meeting a true educational need, WizCom
continues to pursue additional strategic
alliances with international companies interested in
developing customized Reading Pens for specific language
needs”. Quicktionary Reading Pen II is
a completely portable device that enables users to scan printed text
virtually anywhere, see and hear
the text pronounced out loud. The scanned word, which may be viewed
in its entirety or divided into
syllables, appears in an enlarged font on the LCD screen. The large size font
takes sight-impaired users into
consideration. The product’s integrated Text-to-Speech mechanism
offers users the choice to hear the whole scanned
line or any individual word pronounced aloud.
Likewise, users may choose to hear the syllabic breakdown of
any word read aloud.
Reading Pen II users canbuild a list
of the last 300 words scanned. This can then
be transferred to
PC for later usage. The multi-sensory approach
of Reading Pen II has the advantage
of improving
reading effectiveness while making the learning experience more pleasant.
Based on WizCom’s first
generation product, Reading Pen II has benefited from hardware and
software improvements. Reading Pen
II users will discover a fast, accurate product with both
single word and full line scanning
capabilities. Reading Pen II scans inverted and hyphenated
text and is adjustable for left or
right-handed users. The products slim size and lightweight
(only three ounces) makes it the
perfect tool for travel.
Lexima BV has invested a great
deal of effort in researching the development of the Dutch
Reading Pen II. This product will
contain the renowned Van Dale Dutch Dictionary of Current
Usage as well as
Dutch-English and English-Dutch dictionaries. Pocket
Babil, a high quality
multilingual speech synthesizer,
produced by Babel Technologies S.A has
been chosen as
the Dutch voice text-to-speech
mechanism for this product. Based on the unique Multi Band
Resynthesis Overlap Add (MBROLA)
concatenative algorithm, this patented technology is
now available in 18 languages.
The Dutch Reading Pen, to be
released during Q4 2002, will be distributed in the Benelux
by Lexima BV. Lexima is a new
company, created specifically for the development and
marketing of products that make
learning easier for people with reading disorders.
The Dutch Reading Pen, to be
released during Q4 2002 will be distributed internationally
by Lexima BV a subsidiary of
Ha-thek BV.
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