CCJC Audio Podcast Episode 00090, Season 2
“It was an AI-powered leap from a well memorized world to back to a beautifully detailed one.” – Francoise
Today here at Cajun Chronicles Podcast Corporation, we began our morning planning session much like most of us remember from school, with the “big question,” “What Did You Do On Vacation.” Changing things up, our white board screamed, “What Life Changing New Thing Did You Try Over Vacation.”
Our that’s how we roll with our good times group chatter was a lively joyful can-you-top-this event. One thing we agreed upon is that Francoise LeBlanc, our esteemed Co-Producer, definitely got the top upgrade in new adventures. Here’s her story.
The Day Francoise's Glasses Got Too Nosy And Found Moss
After decades of being blind, Francoise LeBlanc knew New Orleans by heart and heel. Her trusty white cane, dubbed “Jacques” tapped out a familiar rhythm on the uneven pavement, a percussion section to the city's chaotic symphony. Her guide dog, Jo-El, a Golden Retriever with the soulful eyes of a world-weary philosopher, was her conductor, expertly weaving them through the foot traffic and around the ubiquitous potholes.
Together, they were a perfectly synchronized trio of cane, dog, and human. Or so she thought. Little did she know her world was about to change forever.
The Envision glasses arrived in a box that smelled faintly of sterile plastic and boundless optimism. Francoise was already skeptical. "Jo-El," she murmured, holding them up. "They promise to 'unlock a new visual paradigm.' Sounds a bit like a self-help guru, doesn't it? Not sure if I’m ready for this.”
Jo-El, whose opinion on such matters was usually a deep, theatrical doggy sigh, merely nuzzled her hand. I worry they might make me look like I’m in a science fiction film. “It’s all very sensible,” she sniffed with a touch of distrust. “I’m sure the “tech bros” on the staff would approve.”
As for her terse comment to Jo-El, after a long, scrutinizing silence, she might have just sighed and said, "Jo-El, they're practical. Where is the violet tint? The magenta, The sunset-on-the-bayou rhinestone big heavily tinted fashion statements I love?”
Stepping outside she waited till she got to St. Peter and Royal. To Francoise, "practical" had always been the harshest possible fashion insult. Reluctantly, Francoise put the sleek frames on. She pressed a small button on the side.
A calm, surprisingly British voice immediately filled her ears. "Greetings, Francoise. Welcome to the Professional Edition! Our gift to the world as described by a highly advanced linguistic model. We are currently standing at the intersection of St. Peter and Royal Street.”
“To your left, a wrought-iron balcony features a repeating pattern of grapevines and a single, slightly bent leaf. A gray tabby cat is sunning itself on the second-floor railing. He is, to put it mildly, nonplussed."
Stunned, Francoise stopped mid-tap. The details were staggering. She’d always known the balcony was there, of course, but the "single, slightly bent leaf" was a vague memory reminder from her days before losing her sight..
She continued walking, and the voice chattered on, painting a vibrant, if slightly over-caffeinated, picture of her world. "An elderly gentleman is approaching. He is wearing a cerulean blue seersucker suit, a matching fedora, and appears to be in an urgent rush to acquire beignets. I detect a fine dusting of powdered sugar on his left lapel."
Francoise chuckled. She had simply known him for years as "Ed, the gentleman with the very quick feet." The glasses were turning her world from a familiar, well-loved sketch into a full-color, meticulously detailed mental oil painting.
Suddenly, the voice took a turn. "The pavement beneath your feet contains three distinct types of moss: a vibrant green Bryum capillare, a patch of darker Hypnum cupressiforme, and a smattering of what appears to be Polytrichum commune, commonly known as 'Haircap Moss'."
Francoise's shocked breath caught in her throat. Haircap Moss! She had been walking over it for years, simply a texture beneath her feet, a dampness in the air. Now it had a name, a personality she’d never known. She felt an overwhelming, dizzying sense of discovery.
It was like suddenly finding out your favorite childhood blanket had been woven from the rare hair of a mythological creature. She pulled the glasses off, her heart pounding with a joyous urgency. She stood there just marveling at how the world had reopened up to her. Jo-El looked up at her, concerned.
"Jo-El," she gasped, "My entire reality has been a lie! A beautiful, wonderful lie, but a lie nonetheless!"
She fumbled in her bag, pulling out her Smart Vision phone with its touch screen with a tactile keypad newfound purpose. She navigated to her contacts list, her fingers flying over the familiar feel-good pad. There was only one group of people she knew who would truly appreciate this level of existential upheaval. Her group text read:
Subject: Life is NOT what you think it is
Message: I've got the AI tech specs. It sees the moss. I repeat, it SEES the moss. It's time to open your third eye and your fourth. Get the Envision glasses, immediately. We have been missing so much.
She hit send, a wide, triumphant grin spreading across her face. Forget fashion, this is a compromise she was now willing to make. Jo-El, for his part, simply nudged her leg. It was time to go home. He, at least, had a more pressing concern, his dinner bowl, which was, to his non-plussed mind, currently empty. He might even try on her new glasses to see what all the fuss is about.
The Power of Perception: What Envision Glasses Do for Real Folks
Francoise, as you heard in her story, is a true New Orleans force of nature, and her journey with the Envision glasses taught her that even when you think you know a city down to its bones, there's always a little something extra, a little lagniappe, to discover.
This ain't no simple device, y'all. It's a powerful piece of assistive technology that empowers folks to access a whole new world of visual information, hands-free. Much like Francoise, users of the real-world Envision glasses, like those with vision impairment, are using AI to read everything from product labels and handwritten notes to menus and street signs.
It's giving them a fresh perspective, turning the world from a familiar melody into a full, rich harmony. The lesson Francoise learned is that her life, and the world around her, is not a perfectly baked beignet that you can't touch. It's more like a thriving Cypress tree in the swamp—it can grow new roots and branches, adapting to the changing landscape to get stronger and more beautiful.
Envision Glasses: More Tricks Than a Mardi Gras Magician!
All Envision Glasses feature Instant Text, Scan Text, Batch Scan, Call A Companion, Call Aira, Describe Scene Detect Light, Recognize Cash, Detect Colors, Find People, Find Objects, Teach a Face, Ask Envision, Explore, and so much more.
Read Text: The glasses can instantly read short text or scan longer documents, including handwriting, in over 60 languages. They can also provide "smart guidance" to help the user capture the entire document.
Describe Scenes: A "Describe Scene," feature takes a picture of the area in front of the user and provides a general audio description. This is similar to the story's glasses detailing the balcony and the cat.
Identify Objects and People: They can find popular objects, detect people, and even recognize faces of people the user has "taught" the glasses to identify.
Detect Colors and Light: The glasses can identify the color of an object and emit tones to indicate the presence and intensity of light sources.
Call for Help: A "Call a Companion" feature allows for hands-free video calls to a trusted friend or family member, who can see what the user sees and provide assistance. There's also an integration with a professional service called Aira.
The Price of Progress: Envision Glasses and Your Pirogue's Pennies
The costs for the real Envision glasses vary depending on the edition you choose. Here is a breakdown of the pricing based on the different models available:
Read Edition: This edition is focused on text reading functionalities and is priced at approximately $1,899 USD. It includes a 1-year free subscription to new feature updates.
Home Edition: This version includes all Envision features like scene description, object and person recognition, and video calling. The price for this edition is around $2,499 USD. Like the Read Edition, it comes with a 1-year free subscription to new feature updates.
Professional Edition: This is the most comprehensive edition, offering all features and a lifetime subscription to future software updates. The cost is approximately $3,499 USD.
It's also worth noting that there is an annual subscription for new feature updates after the first year for the Read and Home editions, which costs around $199 USD per year.
Francoise's Fanciest Feature Wish List: A Voice That Knows Gumbo
Now, you might be wondering about the nitty-gritty details of this miraculous little device. Well, first off, the British voice that gave Francoise her big reveal? While the glasses are built for multilingual voice commands, there's no official word on whether she could have swapped him out for a sassy New York dame or a laid-back Southern gentleman. But globally the glasses support 60 languages.
The whole operation, meanwhile, is run out of The Hague in the Netherlands which, as we all know, is a long way from the Louisiana Bayou and New Orleans. But for folks looking to get their hands on a pair, there's a bit of good news. Because these gadgets are considered a kind of assistive tool, your insurance company might just agree to foot the bill. It’s worth at least exploring that as an option.
Whether it’s through a government program or a private insurer, you just might not have to trade in your po’ boy fund for a pair of high-tech peepers. Meanwhile, here at Cajun Chronicles Podcast Corporation we are seriously discussing how we can raise the funds in our community outreach to provide them for those who cannot afford them. Got any ideas? We’d love to hear from you!
A Word of Wisdom:
Our fictional and non-fictional tales are inspired by real Louisiana and New Orleans history, but some details may have been spiced up for a good story. While we've respected the truth, a bit of creative license could have been used. Please note that all characters may be based on real people, but their identities in some cases have been Avatar masked for privacy. Others are fictional characters with connections to Louisiana.
As you read, remember history and real life is a complex mix of joy, sorrow, triumph, and tragedy. While we may have (or not) added a bit of fiction, the core message remains, the human spirit's power to endure, adapt, and overcome.
© Jerilee Wei 2025 All Rights Reserved.
