PRESS RELEASE 29th of May 2012

New iOs app from Finland: BlindSquare helps blind and partially sighted
people to improve their everyday life

A Finnish company MIPSoft has developed a new mobile application for persons with visual
impairments. This application, BlindSquare, provides visually impaired people new ways to
get information on their surroundings. BlindSquare has recently been launched in Apple App
Store and is currently available for iPad and iPhone.

BlindSquare combines GPS location information, speech synthesis and information from
open data sources in order to provide the desired information for its user. It can tell a blind
person the address of their current location, where the nearest street crossing is, shops and
services found in a certain area - and much more. It can even assist the user to get off the
bus at the right stop or guide them to a certain place. BlindSquare speaks English, Finnish
and Swedish, the speech synthesis is provided by Acapela Group.

MIPsoft has been developing this application in close co-operation with the Finnish Federation
of the Visually Impaired. It has been tested by several blind users - some even from the USA
and Australia.

MIPsoft, founded in 1989, is a software company specialized in developing applications for
mobile smartphones. Its best known applications are Kyyti, assisting public transport users,
and Kierrätys, which helps you to find all recycling centers in Finland.

Finnish Federation of the Visually Impaired ( FFVI) is a national organisation with the aim of
securing blind and partially sighted people an equal status with other Finnish citizens. FFVI
produces special information services and participates in developing special information and
mobility solutions.

More info:
Inventor Ilkka Pirttimaa, MIPsoft Oy, tel. +358-50-389-0022
Programmer Heikki Ekola, FFVI, tel. +358-50-596-5033

BlindSquare at iTunes App Store:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/blindsquare/id500557255?mt=8

BlindSquare home page:
http://blindsquare.com

The blog of Ronja Oja, who has been test using the BlindSquare app (in Finnish):
http://ronjaoja.blogspot.com/2012/05/paasykokeita-urheilua-ja-tekniikan.html