NEW YORK, April 29, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Torbay Holdings Inc. (OTCBB:TRBY) announced this morning that the company's on-going software development program -- designing software that removes the strain or effort involved in computer input -- has reached an alpha testing (in-house) stage for two new software products called "SoTooSee" and "SoTooSpeak".
SoTooSee is a screen enhancement program that takes a new direction relative to the other Assistive Tech screen magnifiers available to persons with severe visual impairment. They range from a magnifier that comes standard with Microsoft Windows to packages costing $500+, which, though extensive in capability, are often complex in installation and use.
SoTooSee software is therefore designed under the KISS principle (although in this case Torbay Holdings refers to it as "Keep It Simple Software") with single page set-up functionality. It is designed to cover the full range of user visual assistance requirements from those with severe sight impairment to those who just need a boost. It is the software equivalent of "non-prescription magnifying spectacles" sold in drug stores.
Most computer screens are placed about 24 to 36 inches away from the user, which is halfway between the optimum focal point of reading and distance spectacles. This can cause eyestrain and neck ache from switching head positions by "hunt and peck" typists looking from keyboard to screen. In SoTooSee there is an active "Pane" around the cursor, which is set to a user-defined size, shape and magnification.
New Product 2, SoTooSpeak, is a web browser reader that allows you to listen and not have to look at the Internet. This product will be assistive to persons without sight or with sight impairment, and those who experience eyestrain from reading web pages or who simply want to listen to their favorite news page or have any web (or html, web format) document read to them while they sit back or do other things.
These software products (PC currently) are planned to be standalone or modular with the company's current click-less software products. A retail price of $75 per module or $50 to Quill Mouse owners is being investigated with an anticipation of a contribution to sales in Q3, 2004.
Tom Large, President & CEO stated: "We are an Assistive Tech Computer Interface company, designing products that reduce muscular effort and enhance the computer experience of our product users in their respective markets. In one iteration these products will be packaged in what is currently called project 'Boomerang' (bringing back ability) that will be targeted at the maturing Baby Boomer sector who are developing age-appropriate limitations and need to overcome them. Baby Boomers were born between 1946 and 1964 and a 1999 study estimates them to number 81M in the US, and back then (1999) 57.9M were on-line. Design and product testing for the Baby Boomer market is relatively easy, I am one and I now no longer need my own spectacles at the computer, thanks to SoTooSee!"