An update for the Kindle Fire 7" came out recently, and it has good improvements for the TTS capability, bringing it into line with the 8.9" unit. They have unlocked the Explore by Touch feature of the underlying Android operating system, which allows a speech user to navigate the main screens and menus, browse the list of books on the device, open one and read it unaided. Note that the speech feature still needs sight turn it on, navigation within books is still frustratingly limited, and there are no options at all for the voice - you can't even change the rate. I need to do some more playing with it before I update our web page about the Fire. I'll be concentrating on the book reading features, although I'll also be interested to see if you can use the email, calendar and other features of the device. Steve From: access-uk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of mark bishop Sent: 10 April 2013 18:35 To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [access-uk] Re: Kindle Keyboard v Kindle Fire Hi Trevor I have been led to believe that although the books will read the same as on the keyboard, actually selecting the books does not speak. Is this correct? if so then do you have enough vision to use this part of the device. I would not have this amount of sight wsowould be reliant solely on speech. thanks Mark Bishop ----- Original Message ----- From: Trevor Ruane <mailto:trevor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Wednesday, April 10, 2013 6:12 PM Subject: [access-uk] Kindle Keyboard v Kindle Fire At the end of February, Steve Griffiths of RNIB kindly set out the differences between the Kindle Keyboard and the Kindle Fire. What he said was very useful and has more or less set my course to buy a Fire to replace my Keyboard. I have just been very fortunate in having a friend loan me a Fire to try, and now I am not so sure about switching. The following might be of interest to some. Fire's TTS is (to my mind) superb. I have experience of TTS only on my old VR Stream and Textaloud MP3 on my PC, but it certainly far surpasses both of them. The facility for white on black for ebooks is terrific. It cuts out the glare that one gets from a pure white background and does not illuminate one's face when reading closely! I was a little disappointed by the maximum text size on the Fire. I measured it at about 8 mm as opposed to the Keyboard's 9.5 mm for a capital letter in the largest font. Not a lot of difference, but it could be critical for some. I now have to decide whether the advantages of the Fire outweigh the slightly smaller font size. If I take into account the excellent internet browsing facilities on the Fire and the colour screen (as well as the above), I think I will probably go for one. However, I won't get rid of my Keyboard too quickly! Trevor Ruane Click here <https://www.mailcontrol.com/sr/MZbqvYs5QwJvpeaetUwhCQ== crQt2sHoZWpEopfauK9QFgc7jYNlNVgFck!gE3KctAewCA==> to report this email as spam. -- Download our free info pack now to help you or a loved one spot the signs of AMD and other eye diseases: http://rnib.in/XW9MU5 -- DISCLAIMER: NOTICE: The information contained in this email and any attachments is confidential and may be privileged. If you are not the intended recipient you should not use, disclose, distribute or copy any of the content of it or of any attachment; you are requested to notify the sender immediately of your receipt of the email and then to delete it and any attachments from your system. RNIB endeavours to ensure that emails and any attachments generated by its staff are free from viruses or other contaminants. However, it cannot accept any responsibility for any such which are transmitted. We therefore recommend you scan all attachments. Please note that the statements and views expressed in this email and any attachments are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RNIB. RNIB Registered Charity Number: 226227 Website: http://www.rnib.org.uk This message has been scanned for viruses by Websense Hosted Security - http://www.websense.com/content/HostedEmailSecurity.aspx