Microsoft seeking ways to help illiterate
Seattle PI | at | by Mike
Can someone who doesn't even know how to read or write use a computer? Microsoft is probing that question at a research lab in India.
Working with a local advocacy group, Microsoft has developed a prototype of a system that would connect illiterate domestic workers in India with families seeking their services. The system uses pictures, video and voice commands to tell women what jobs are available, how much the jobs pay and where they are.
The goal is to help the women see how technology can make finding work more efficient, as the first step toward creating broader tools to help illiterate people benefit from technological advances.