User:Deben Dave/TapToTalk

TapToTalk is software that is used to turn a Nintendo DSi or DS Lite into a portable augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device that allows a picture to be touched on the DS screen which then generates a verbal response and/or text. This allows easier communication for verbally challenged people. The aimed area of use is for people who have speech difficulties and it can also help adults who have difficulty in reading and writing.



Hardware
The device runs on two handheld games consoles namely the Nintendo DSi and DS Lite which come with a touch sensitive screen. It comes supplied with a device that plugs into the back of the DS, as a game cartridge would do, and into that is placed a Micro SD memory card, common to many mobile telephones and digital cameras  which holds the program.

Killer Application
The product has the advantage that it is fully customizable by the user, but it comes supplied with a demonstration library. However users can and are encouraged to create their own libraries, with their own picture, voices and text. This is achieved from a TapToTalk web site that the users access and then download the library to the memory card which is then placed in the DS. The web site is called the TapToTalk Designer and requires a PC running Windows 7, Vista or XP, or a Macintosh running OS X. TapToTalk Designer can be used with Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari or Chrome web browsers.



Developers
The product has been developed by Assistyx LLC a company based in Cupertino in the USA.

Releases
The first release of the software took place 15 September 2009.

Clients
Although only recently released TapToTalk already has many clients across the USA from Maine to Hawaii, British Columbia to Texas.