WBUR Newsroom Election 2008 CommonHealth Blog Radio Boston Blog Boston Weather Climate Connections BBC World News NPR Top Stories NPR's Morning Edition NPR Topics: Books NPR Topics: Movies Fresh Air All Things Considered Marketplace Submit a News Tip RSS Feeds Podcasts Perkins Unveils Talking "Reader" By Delores Handy Listen to story (Real Audio) Gayle Yarnall, Director of Adaptive Technology, holds the new K-NFB Reader Mobile. (Photo: Monica Brady-Myerov) BOSTON, Mass. - April 25, 2008 - The Perkins School for the Blind showed off some new technology yesterday for people with visual impairments. The K-NFB Reader Mobile is a multi-functional cell phone that can take a picture of any document, convert it into text, and then into speech. Kurzweil Technologies and the National Federation for the Blind created the new, portable device, based on one that used to be the size of a washing machine and priced around $50,000. Now this new version costs $2,100 and fits into your pocket, says Gayle Yarnall, the Director of Adaptive Technology, a division of Perkins products. Most importantly, Yarnell adds, it gives blind people more freedom, "I could go into a hotel room and read the room service menu or just explore the various options in that hotel that all of the rest of the life I used to pretend weren't there." Starting this week, the Perkins School for the Blind, in Watertown, is selling the cell phone reader in the northeast. For a conversation about how this new technology fits into the school's mission, WBUR's Delores Handy turns to Perkins' president Steven Rothstein. RELATED LINKS Perkins School info about assistive technology. Adaptive Technology info about the "Blind Reader" Gayle Yarnall's blog    From The WBUR Newsroom Comparing Jobless Benefits BOSTON, Mass. (July 25, 2008) As jobless claims rise, people get more unemployment benefits in Massachusetts than in most other states. We compare what it's like for someone in Lawrence with their counterpart across the border in Salem, New Hampshire. From Pump to Pew BOSTON, Mass. (July 25, 2008) A church in West Bridgewater is giving out free raffle tickets to parishioners. The prize: a 50-dollar gas card...and more people in the pews. Strain of Stressful Finances BOSTON, Mass. (July 25, 2008) The faltering economy puts stress on individuals and families, and may lead to a rise in people with mental health issues. We talk with one doctor from Mass. General about the trend and what to do about it. The Bard is Back in Boston BOSTON, Mass. (July 25, 2008) The Bard is back: Shakespeare on the Common returns to the outdoor stage with a full schedule of free shows this summer.