eReaders and Apps Could Help Glaucoma Patients

"Better strategies are needed to help glaucoma patients cope with difficulty reading. According to a new scientific study published in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, adults with glaucoma read slower when reading silently for long periods of time and are more likely to have their reading speed decrease over time, possibly a result of reading fatigue," reports Science Daily. "Technological solutions such as e-readers -- and the many apps being created for them -- could help. "Right now, so many products are available for presenting reading material in a variety of formats," says author Pradeep Ramulu MD, PhD, of The Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Hospital. 'If the optimal format for reading in the context of glaucoma could be determined, it would be easy to create an application to present text in this manner as part of a commercial device such as an iPad or Kindle.'" Read more.

There's a New York Times blog interview with the study's

Hoya Wins Awards for Its Apps

"The spread of Hoya Apps has been accompanied by one success after another since their launch. They are the result of the technological and innovative orientation that Hoya, the Smart System Company, has always had," according to Mido News 365. "After it received the Silmo D'Or early October for visuReal Portable, Hoya was again the protagonist Friday morning when it was presented with the Smau Mob App Award by Milan Polytechnic's School of Business Observatories in collaboration with Smau. The aim of the competition is to award the most innovative Apps for smartphones and tablets in the Consumer and Business categories, which were won by Hoya. A total of about 100 business Apps were entered by 83 companies or independent developers." Read more.

Math App Helps Visually Challenged

"Without looking down, Kira runs her index finger across the screen of an Android tablet that she is holding in her lap. For the occasion, she has painted her fingernails bright pink. When her finger touches a line drawn on the screen, the tablet vibrates quietly. Scanning her finger back and forth and feeling the vibration come and go allows her to trace the line's path," according to a Medical News Today post. "When her finger reaches a pink dot, the tablet gives off an electronic tone and she grins delightedly. Kira is one of two visually impaired high school students who are testing a new Android app, one designed to assist students like her in mastering algebra, geometry, graphing and other subjects that are particularly hard to comprehend without the aid of normal vision." Read more.

Apps for Smart Phones from AllaboutVision

AllAboutVision.com has added new smart-phone apps that range from fun visual illusions to useful medication reminders on its Eye-Related Downloads and Apps page.The page contains more than 30 eye-related resources that include apps for the Android, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, as well as printable handouts and guides for eye health and safety. Eye Color Booth, Optical Illusions and MedMinder are among the newest apps on the page. A photography app for the Android, Eye Color Booth changes the eye color in photos to create artistic effects. It also lets users try on a new eye color if they’re considering color contacts. Optical illusions is another Android app with 98 fun visual illusions that can be emailed or shared on Facebook with friends. iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad users can download a similar app called Eye Illusions and Mind Tricks for device wallpaper. You can get the apps here.