Thunder Portable

The world we live in can be a harsh place, with a high chance of accidents to leave us impaired. This can also happen due to natural causes, in some case people being born without senses. For those whit poor or no sight at all, specialized applications such as Thunder Portable provide a suitable means to link them to the constantly evolving technology.

You can take the application wherever you go, since this is the portable version, but there's also the installer. This comes in handy because you can configure settings and have increased accessibility options on nearly any computer.

At its core, the application is designed as a web browser, with audio support from the operating system default voice system. Running the application brings up a menu with a few configuration options you might want to check.

Right from the start, the voice system kicks in, with nearly all areas you hover the mouse cursor being spoken. This means that it's a good idea to plug in a speaker system or at least a pair of headphones.

Accessing the settings menu, you can choose the voice to use, with a few sliders that let you adjust volume and speed so you clearly understand. What's more, you can also choose what areas to trigger voice feedback, with entries such as keyboard characters, words, special keys and a few more.

The application gives you the possibility to fully configure hotkeys for a wide array of actions. Selecting one and choosing the right buttons is all there is to it and heavily increases ease of access and practicability.

Another feature the application comes equipped with is its own web browser. It properly functions, with the possibility to toggle between text view and normal page for clearer comprehension. Unfortunately, it's rather difficult to make use of only audio feedback, and it would have been useful to have an integrated voice command system.

On an ending note, Thunder Portable is a step forward in both technology and in humanitarianism. It gives visually impaired people a chance to use technology for what it was made, giving them access to the information superhighway. Although it does not come equipped with a voice command system, audio feedback for nearly every area, as well that it is portable greatly comes in handy.