Some hand-held magnifiers are fitted with a built-in battery powered lamp or LED to improve lighting and enhance the text. A range of video magnifiers are available from hand-held and portable models, models that connect to computers and/or TV screens and desktop mounted models. Advantages of video magnifiers over traditional magnifiers may include:

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Models with a LCD display showing callers telephone numbers, or spoken announcement of the number of a caller, require subscription to a caller ID service. Upward writing frames are now available which create the dots on the front of the piece of paper enabling you to produce Braille from left to right as you would read the code. The Mighty Paw Smart Bell 2.0 works indoors or outside so your dog can communicate when they need to potty or want to come in. Software is required to convert text to Braille before it is printed/embossed (known as Braille translation software).

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Braille can also be produced on a computer using translation software and a Braille embosser instead of a printer. Braille is a system of raised dots which people read by feeling with their fingertips. The Braille dots are used to represent words and numbers, punctuation characters and even mathematics, scienceand music notation.

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Braille can be produced manually, using a styluson a portable hand-frameor on a manual desktop machinesimilar to traditional manual typewriter.The camera, which is often similar in shape to a computer mouse, is placed on the original image and can be moved across the paper or object while the magnified image appears on the screen. There are models available with an enlarged keypad, emergency button, or a high contrast display with a large font. Some of these magnifiers have an integral light. However, some users find it difficult to find the start of the text they wish to magnify when using a stand magnifier.