aaLuminate Review – Rest for your eyes
App Type: Uncategorized
Our rating: 
By: aardwearing software
Version #: 2.0
Date Released: 2013-06-18
Developer: aardwearing Software Limited
Price: 4.99
User Rating:
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Last week we talked about the dreaded scotopic sensitivity syndrome, which is a problem that around 1 in 20 people suffer when reading black text over a white background, and how to detect if you do with with aaSsessMyVS. This week we introduce you aaLuminate, which is the actual app that will relieve your problems.
Having a non-white background is known to help dyslexics, sufferers of SSS and in general anyone needing to read huge amounts of text. The general consensus among optometrists and people who use computers or read a lot is that, well, black over white (or, in another words, huge contrast between both colours) is a real pain for the eyes. White text on black or blue is not much better. Something softer is needed. To find what, and how soft it has to be, use aaSsessMyVS. If you want more details about what scotopic sensitivity syndrome does you, why you should check how different backgrounds affect you and what else is behind this problem, read our previous review.
With aaLuminate you get a web browser powered with a colour overlay, to turn white into the shade you need to be able to read correctly. In addition to this web browser (which allows you to read PDF files and many other formats from the cloud, making it a complete reading app) you get camera roll and video overlays. So you can actually use the camera of your iOS device to “watch” the world around you through a coloured filter. Ease the pain of reading, straight from camera. Finally, you also get to use the screen of your iPad or iPhone as a coloured flashlight, to turn your book into a pleasant one while reading on your bed.
A fully featured package to relieve your eye strain. What else can you ask for? No more migraines, no more red eyes. Bliss.
Quick Take
Value:High
Would I Buy Again:Maybe
Learning Curve:Low
Who Is It For:Scotopic sensitivity syndrome sufferers, dislexycs
What I Like:Addresses an unknown problem
What I Don't Like:All reading apps should come with this
Final Statement:Assess your sensitivity, then get aaLuminate
aaSsessMyVS MAKE SURE YOUR CHILDREN AREN'T HELD BACK IN THEIR STUDIES!
ABOUT 1 IN 20 PEOPLE CAN INCREASE THEIR READING SPEED BY MORE THAN 25% JUST BY USING THE CORRECT COLOURED OVERLAY OVER WHAT THEY WANT TO READ.
aaLuminate gives you an adjustable colour overlay on your iOS device to use when reading anything on the web or anything you see when you’re out and about (such as menus, newspapers, labels, signs etc).
"fantastic" Sheila S in UK, Jun 18, 2013
"works brilliantly" Tracy T in UK, Jun 6, 2013
Sufferers from a form of Visual Stress also known as Meares-Irlen syndrome or Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome can often be dazzled by bright white backgrounds to text.They find reading is significantly easier when the correct shade of coloured overlay is used to change the look of the page.
Some dyslexics and migraine sufferers are among those that can benefit from employing such overlays. The precise shade required varies from person to person.
Commonly experienced symptoms of sufferers when trying to read include...
-Text is blurry,
-Text moves around,
-Words spaced too close together/too far apart,
-Worm, river or waterfall type patterns appear on page
-Pain, nausea or dizziness.
If you're at school, these sort of experiences could make it very unpleasant to read and so it's that much harder to learn properly.
You may even be unaware that there is an issue affecting your ability to read - until you see how much better reading is with the right coloured overlay.
aaLuminate costs as little as a few cups of coffee and lets you take the right colour overlay with you wherever you go, you can use it on the video feed from the camera on the back of your device, on still pictures you take or already have stored, as a night time reading light and on any website, web based PDF file etc.
You can adjust the colour using Red, Green and Blue sliders, Hue, Saturation and Luminance sliders or your test result from our Visual Stress assessment app aaSsessMyVS (also available in App Store).
You can pinch to zoom on still pictures and web pages and overlay a rectangular mask to help concentrate on just the words you’re currently reading.
This tunable colour overlay on your device may also help in other situations, by varying the filter, the different colours in the image vary in brightness/contrast in different ways. This might help those with colour blindness for example.
Unsure if you need aaLuminate? Why not try our assessment app aaSsessMyVS and test the whole family!
Screenshots
Article By ruben
Ruben Berenguel is finishing his PhD in Mathematics while writing in mostlymaths.net about being a 'geek of all trades'. He also happens to be the senior editor in the What's on iPhone network: any complaints go to him!
ruben has written 174 awesome app reviews.
