[vicsireland] Re: Kindle EBook reader.
- From: "Tony Sweeney" <tonysweeney1@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <vicsireland@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:54:03 -0000
Very interesting flor!
Wonder if anyone does now or in the future know of a "possible" way around
the menu problem could you let us know please?
Tony
----- Original Message -----
From: "Flor Lynch" <florlync@xxxxxx>
To: <vicsireland@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 4:29 PM
Subject: [vicsireland] Re: Kindle EBook reader.
> Hi Tony,
>
> here's a longer article on the Kindle 2.
>
> Here is a story on the Kindle II.
> Includes specs, pricing and functionality.
>
>
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/02/09/amazon_introduces_kindle_2_with_text_to_speech_feature.html
>
> Amazon today revealed its Kindle 2 wireless reading device that will go on
> sale later this month with a thinner design, longer battery life,
faster
> page turns, more storage, sharper images, and a new text-to-speech
feature.
>
> The new Kindle is virtually identical to the photos leaked last year and
> with features very similar to last week's predictions.
>
> In a press event at New York's Morgan Library, Amazon founder and chief
> executive Jeff Bezos told attendees that Kindle e-books now make up 10
> percent of the online retailer's unit sales, and he was quick to point out
> the new Kindle is thinner than the iPhone by 0.12 inches, or 25 percent.
>
> "Kindle 2 is everything customers tell us they love about the original
> Kindle, only thinner, faster, crisper, with longer battery life, and
capable
> of holding hundreds more books," he said. "If you want, Kindle 2 will even
> read to you
> --
> something new we added that a book could never do. While we're excited
about
> Kindle 2, we know that great hardware is useless without vast selection.
> That's
> why the Kindle Store offers customers over 230,000 books."
>
> During the press event a slide outlined Amazon's vision to make "every
book
> ever printed in any language all available in less than 60 seconds" with
the
> Kindle.
>
> Design
>
> New buttons on the "pencil thin" Kindle 2 make it easier to turn pages
with
> either hand. Usability and clumsy navigation was a major complaint about
the
> original Kindle (review), and Amazon is addressing those concerns with its
> latest design.
>
> A new "5-way controller" is intended for more precise note-taking and
> highlighting as well as faster jumps between articles and sections of
> newspapers. Unfortunately, the "official Amazon.com cover", with an
> integrated attachment hinge and leather cover, will be sold separately for
> $29.99. This is probably a concession to third-party suppliers, as Amazon
> also said that Kindle
> 2 covers will be sold by Patagonia, Cole Haan and Belkin.
>
> Kindle 2
>
> New Features
>
> Amazon calls "Text-to-Speech" an "experimental" feature that will convert
> text on the page to spoken words, and also save the spot on a page in case
a
> reader wants to switch back and forth between reading and listening. Users
> can choose between male and female voices and specify the reading speed.
> Anything that appears on the device's screen, from newspapers to blogs to
> books, can be read aloud.
>
> Meanwhile, Amazon's new "Whispersync" technology promises to sync Kindle 2
> and the original Kindle automatically for easy transitions. Users can pick
> up a Kindle at home, read a chapter or two, then drive to work where they
> have a Kindle 2. Wherever you left off will be synced to the other device
> with no flipping forward and backward to find your place. Amazon says
> Whispersync will make it easier to transition to the new Kindle from the
old
> model or to use both together. Eventually, support for "a range of mobile
> devices" will be provided, presumably smartphones, but no specifics are
yet
> available.
>
> The New Oxford American Dictionary is also built in with 250,000 word
> definitions that appear instantly at the bottom of the page.
>
> Kindle 2
>
> Display, Battery Life, and Connectivity
>
> Whereas the Kindle 1 offered only 4 shades of gray on the display, the
> Kindle 2 is capable of showing 16 shades on a six-inch, 600 x 800
electronic
> paper display. There is no backlight, helping provide 25 percent longer
> battery life.
> Amazon claims four to five days of reading on one charge with wireless
> turned on, two weeks with wireless off. The company also claims pages will
> turn 20 percent faster.
>
> The national 3G delivery network called Whispernet remains unchanged in a
> continuing partnership with Sprint that keeps the service available for no
> extra charge to Kindle owners. Amazon says it has been expanded to cover
all
> 50 states with no PC, Wi-Fi hot spot, or syncing necessary.
>
> Storage
>
> The Kindle 2, with its 2 GB of memory, can hold more than 1,500 books
> compared to the original's 200. Books bought before are backed up to an
> Amazon.com account, so customers can wirelessly re-download previously
> purchased titles as necessary.
>
> Selection
>
> The original Kindle launched with 90,000 available e-books, while Kindle 2
> owners will have more than 230,000 from which to choose. New authors added
> include John Steinbeck, C.S. Lewis, Beverly Cleary, Martha Stewart, Terry
> Goodkind, and Spencer Johnson.
>
> Author Stephen King has also written a plainly promotional novella, "Ur",
> whose protagonist "can't seem to get his ex-girlfriend's parting shot out
of
> his head." The parting shot? "Why can't you just read off the computer
like
> the rest of us?" The lovelorn college English instructor then places an
> order for a Kindle, and, we assume, lives happily ever after. Pre-orders
> will get the novella automatically downloaded to their device.
>
> Amazon has also rolled out support for more magazines, newspapers, and
> blogs.
> Newspaper subscriptions range from $5.99 to $14.99 fees per month,
magazines
> are priced at $1.25 to $3.49 per month. Wireless blog delivery starts at
> $0.99
> for each per month with a free two-week trial.
>
> Kindle 2
>
> Pricing and Availability
>
> The Kindle 2 will sell for the same price its predecessor most recently
went
> for, $359. (The original device launched at $399.) Customers still waiting
> on unfulfilled Kindle 1 orders will be automatically upgraded to Kindle 2,
> with the devices scheduled to begin shipping February 24. Current Kindle
> owners are also invited to pre-order before midnight tonight to receive
> priority.
>
> For everyone else, it's available for pre-order today.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Tom Rash" <audiovisionradio.tomav@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <blindtech@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2009 10:37 AM
> Subject: Re: Amazon's Kindle
>
> I think it is the Kindle Two. It isn't being released until the 24th of
> this month, I think. It just mentioned that there was a text to speech
> function so the Kindle can read the books to you. Just wondered if anyone
> had more info than that. I guess we'll have to wait.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Stephen Guerra
> To: blindtech@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2009 10:03 AM
> Subject: RE: Amazon's Kindle
>
> Are you sure it's the Kindle two, or the original Kindle your speaking
> about
>
> Stephen A. Guerra
> Assistive Technology Specialist and Technical Operations
>
> Independent Living Aids LLC
>
> 200 Robbins Lane
> Building A, Suite 100
> Jericho, NY 11753
> Phone: (800) 537-2118-x3817
> Direct Fax: (516) 450-3842
>
> Read the <http://allthingsilatech.blogspot.com> All Things ILA Tech Blog
>
> Follow me on <http://twitter.com/TheILATechie> Twitter and see what i'm
> doing
>
> Visit <http://www.independentliving.com> Independent Living Aids on the
> Web
>
> Visit Soundbytes on the Web <http://www.soundbytes.com>
>
> From: blindtech@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:blindtech@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
> Behalf
> Of Pam Drake
> Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2009 12:00 PM
> To: blindtech@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: RE: Amazon's Kindle
>
> Unfortunately all reports I have heard say that this device is not
> blind-friendly. It is optimized for easier viewing, making the text
> look more like a standard book, but it really isn't designed for
> listening only. I can look up a few posts I saved on the subject if
> interested.
>
> Pam
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindtech@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:blindtech%40yahoogroups.com>
> [mailto:blindtech@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:blindtech%40yahoogroups.com> ]
> On
> Behalf Of Tom Rash
> Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2009 9:27 AM
> To: blindtech
> Subject: Amazon's Kindle
>
> Has anyone used the Kindle yet? I heard it has a text to voice feature
> that will read the books to you. Is the device blind friendly? Thanks
> for any info.
> Tom Rash, Executive Director
> AUDIO VISION Radio Reading Service for the Blind, Inc.
> 35242 Yucaipa Blvd. Ste. C
> Yucaipa, CA 92399
> (909) 797-4336
> tom@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:tom%40audiovisionradio.org>
> <mailto:tom%40audiovisionradio.org>
> www.audiovisionradio.org
>
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> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Tony Sweeney" <tonysweeney1@xxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <vicsireland@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 2:25 PM
> Subject: [vicsireland] Re: Kindle EBook reader.
>
>
> Hi Flor, Darragh & Steve & All,
>
> Thank you for that information!
>
> I first heard mention of the Amazon Kindle on Marian Finucane's programme
> last weekend.
>
> They hope to have incidentally a technology slot on her show every month
or
> so!
>
> I wonder if there is anything that Vics or say NCBI should be doing in
order
> to add their voice to "demanding" accessibility of The Kindle for blind
> persons.
>
> It always seems a shame that when we sometimes we think WE'RE THERE we are
> sometimes two steps behind!
>
> Tony
> ----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Flor Lynch" <florlync@xxxxxx>
> To: <vicsireland@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 12:38 PM
> Subject: [vicsireland] Re: Kindle EBook reader.
>
>
> > Hi Darragh and list:
> >
> > While the Kindle 2 does have text read aloud functionality, its menus
and
> > controls are visual, and unfortunately are not speech accessible and do
> not
> > speak. here's an article from the US pertaining to it and the NFB's
> > [national Federation of the Blind] response to a 'concern' raised by a
> third
> > party.
> >
> >
> > National Federation of the Blind Responds to Authors Guild
> > Statement on the Amazon Kindle 2
> >
> > Baltimore, Maryland (February 12, 2009): The National Federation of
> > the Blind, the largest organization of blind people in the United
> > States, today responded to a statement put out by the Authors Guild
> > advising its members to consider negotiating contracts prohibiting
> > e-books to be read aloud by the new Amazon Kindle 2, which
> > incorporates text-to-speech technology. The Authors Guild argues that
> > the reading of a book out loud by a machine is a copyright
> > infringement unless the copyright holder has specifically granted
> > permission for the book to be read aloud.
> >
> > Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind,
> > said: "The National Federation of the Blind supports all technologies
> > that allow blind people to have better access to the printed word,
> > including the ability of devices like the Kindle 2 to read commercial
> > e-books aloud using text-to-speech technology. Although the Authors
> > Guild claims that it supports making books accessible to the blind,
> > its position on the inclusion of text-to-speech technology in the
> > Kindle 2 is harmful to blind people. The Authors Guild says that
> > having a book read aloud by a machine in the privacy of one's home or
> > vehicle is a copyright infringement. But blind people routinely use
> > readers, either human or machine, to access books that are not
> > available in alternative formats like Braille or audio. Up until now,
> > no one has argued that this is illegal, but now the Authors Guild
> > says that it is. This is absolutely wrong. The blind and other
> > readers have the right for books to be presented to us in the format
> > that is most useful to us, and we are not violating copyright law as
> > long as we use readers, either human or machine, for private rather
> > than public listening. The key point is that reading aloud in private
> > is the same whether done by a person or a machine, and reading aloud
> > in private is never an infringement of copyright.
> >
> > "Amazon has taken a step in the right direction by including
> > text-to-speech technology for reading e-books aloud on its new Kindle
> > 2," Dr. Maurer continued. "We note, however, that the device itself
> > cannot be used independently by a blind reader because the controls
> > to download a book and begin reading it aloud are visual and
> > therefore inaccessible to the blind. We urge Amazon to rectify this
> > situation as soon as possible in order to make the Kindle 2 a device
> > that truly can be used both by blind and sighted readers. By doing
> > so, Amazon will make it possible for blind people to purchase a new
> > book and begin reading it immediately, just as sighted people do."
> >
> > ###
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Darragh" <lists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > To: <vicsireland@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 10:11 AM
> > Subject: [vicsireland] Kindle EBook reader.
> >
> >
> > Good morning,
> >
> > I heard some interesting news in Windows Weekly this morning about an
> EBook
> > reader from Amazon called Kindle version 2 that contains text to speech
> > functionality. I.e, it has the ability to convert text in an EBook to
> > synthesized speech.
> >
> > I only looked for some text to verify this for a moment so the link
below
> > may not be the best source of information around but it's a start.
> > http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123419309890963869.html
> >
> > The device is a tad pricy and I doubt many would be interested but it's
> > great that the functionality is there.
> >
> >
> > Darragh
> >
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> >
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