Talking e-book reader coming next year

Watch your back, Kindle. According to reports, an Iranian inventor named Ramin Sedighi has created a "talking" e-book, which utilizes a stylus that can be moved across words and then pronounce them out loud. The system can also apparently "explain" pictures, though it's unclear whether or not it uses image recognition or some type of embedded data. The device includes a USB port, audio out, the aforementioned stylus, 512MB of memory, and an SD card slot. The laptop-sized unit is aimed at educational applications for children 4 through 16, and will be available sometime in early 2008. No word on manufacturer or pricing.

[Via The Raw Feed]

[671GD @ Dec 26th 2007 9:36PM]

I'm soooooo excited! I CAN'T WAIT for good ol' Microsoft Sam to read me a book!

Please. Spare us.

[Adithya @ Dec 26th 2007 10:38PM]

Cheers for Sam!

[Bryant @ Dec 26th 2007 10:18PM]

Next up, a user friendly uranium enrichment plant.


*full disclosure: I am Iranian. This was a joke not meant to offend anyone.

[bob sakamano @ Dec 26th 2007 10:54PM]

i think engadget failed to mention that this thing only translates in farsi, since everyone knows iranians love amazon edot com!

[ScareyJ @ Dec 26th 2007 11:42PM]

Texting has already butchered some kids ability to form complete sentences. Throw in an eBook reader that removes the need to read and understand traditional written languages and I can only see it getting better. I wonder if it comes with the new complimentary kids eBook, "My First Little Cascading Centrifuge."

Despite all that, I think a really compact unit with a good TTS (maybe even completely displayless) would be convenient for travel, jogging, etc.

[webon @ Dec 26th 2007 11:50PM]

hwo says ur ablity 2 complt sentncs is butchrd??

[KC @ Dec 27th 2007 1:12PM]

You mean, like an audio book?

[strider_mt2k @ Dec 27th 2007 1:11AM]

Stephen Hawking reads the classics!

[Florin @ Dec 27th 2007 7:19AM]

Coming out in early 2008, yeah right, he's probably gotten the people behind the Phantom console to market it...for a one-person invention, it's quite nice, but the article doesn't mention a couple of things, like what the screen is. It looks very strange in the picture...also, given its intended purpose, it's huge.

[kombizz @ Dec 27th 2007 9:29AM]

As the Iranian President says: "MA MEETAVANEEM". Means we, (Iranian) CAN.
And there we are, this a result of believing in himself and hard working.
I am looking forward to see this new device.
God bless Ramin Sedighi, Afrin sad afrin.

[strider_mt2k @ Dec 27th 2007 10:15AM]

Stephen Hawking reads the classics!

[strider_mt2k @ Dec 27th 2007 10:16AM]

sorry everyone
sorry

[Grutt @ Dec 27th 2007 11:38AM]

i cant wait to be iletearte ;)

[Redsyrup @ Dec 27th 2007 1:13PM]

Does anyone know if you can double tap a word on any e-readers and have it open a definition?

[avagee @ Dec 27th 2007 10:26PM]

This would be great but if it's laptop size how is that different than current eReaders that run on laptops and have text to speech?

I want this in my phone! I read books with my cell phone, but if it could read to me when I was running or something that would be excellent. http://www.booksinmyphone.com give away public domain and creative commons texts packaged to be read on cell phones, I wonder how long it will take till they can add text-to-speech.

[Randy @ Dec 28th 2007 8:30PM]

And no one here thinks this is a blessing for the hearing impaired community? pour on the Hawkins jokes, please, show us all how much we care...Randy

[Garst @ Dec 31st 2007 4:23PM]

There already are talking e-book readers. They're MP3 players that support "Audible" e-books. You also have books on tape, books on CD, parents. Wait, parents aren't eletronic, unless you're talking about TVs.

"Television! Teacher! Mother! Secret Lover!" -Homer Simpson