Travel Tech: Stuck in a Blinding Snowstorm? New “Eyes-Free” Navigation App Sees For You

ByMary Anne Potts
April 03, 2009
2 min read

Two Google engineers have created a piece of software for the touch-screen T Mobile G1 that will help the blind, and, inadvertently, sighted adventure seekers as well. The software, known as an "eyes-free shell," can utilize the phone’s built-in compass and Google Maps to gauge the user’s position and then audibly relay the results. At this stage, the capabilities of the technology aren’t completely clear, but this could be a lifesaver for anyone who is lost and suffering from snow blindness or another form of temporary vision impairment. The application is available on Android Market.

More on this:

Bits New York Times Blog

The Android


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