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ASUS DR-950 9-inch touchscreen e-reader brings text-to-speech and internet browser
ASUS is suddenly all chatty with its plans to enter the e-reader market in 2010. Just yesterday we got word of a 6-inch color (claimed to be OLED by InGear) e-reader from ASUS by the name of DR-570 headed to retail before the year is through. Now we've got details of a second ASUS e-reader, dubbed the DR-950 that should arrive sooner. This time we're looking at a 9-inch Sipix panel with 1,024 x 768 pixel resolution pushing 16-levels of gray just like the Jinke reader unveiled at CES. The touchscreen DR-950 features text-to-speech (based on Svox engine supporting 26 languages), a web browser that works in portrait or landscape modes, a virtual keyboard and handwriting input, a RSS reader, and dictionary (with expandable database) with real-time translation. Spec-wise, the 222 x 161 x 9-mm / 370-gram reader packs WiFi and HSPA (WiMax is optional) data radios, 3.5-mm headphone jack and stereo speakers, with 4GB of internal memory and SD Card expansion. Supported formats include PDF, TXT, Audible, MP3, and unprotected ePub. Not bad ASUS, not bad. Now let's see some content partners, eh? See it pictured browsing the web after the break.
Teclast enters the e-book fold with the K3 Talking Portable Library
Judging by the snowballing number of e-readers we've seen over the last year or so (culminating at CES 2010, as you are no doubt well aware) either people really, really, really love these things, or OEMs are going for the lowest hanging fruit. And what do we have here from Teclast? The company, known 'round these parts for its portable media players, has entered the game with the K3. In addition from the usual array of supported document formats this bad boy rocks a 6-inch E Ink display, an MP3 / MP4 player and -- hold on to your caps! -- text-to-speech either in English or Chinese. The term the company is using to market this bad boy is "Talking Portable Library," but since most TTS devices usually make HAL sound like James Earl Jones we're going to suggest that anyone truly interested in this technology stick with the Kindle. Besides, Tom misses you! You two haven't talked in a long time.
Blio seeks to take digital reading in a new, more inclusive, and colorful direction
As if we didn't have enough pretenders in the ebook space, here's Ray Kurzweil with a new format of his own and a bagful of ambition to go with it. Set for a proper unveiling at CES in a week's time, the Blio format and accompanying application are together intended to deliver true-to-life color reproductions of the way real books appear. Interestingly, the software has been developed in partnership with Nokia, in an effort to turn Espoo's phones into "the smallest text-to-speech reading devices available thus far," though apps are also being developed for the iPhone, PC and Mac. The biggest advantage of this format might actually be behind the scenes, where the costs to publishers are drastically reduced by them having to only submit a PDF scan of their books, whose formatting remains unchanged in Blio. We'll be all over this at CES, but for now you'll find more pictures and early impressions over at Gizmodo.
Amazon beefing up Kindle's functionality for vision-impared users as B&N's Nook stays silent
While the Amazon Kindle's text-to-speech functionality might seem like a gimmick for some, it's anything but for blind, vision-impaired and dyslexic users. Unfortunately, the device's accessibility so far hasn't extended to the menus. That's set to change next year, however, with Amazon promising to release an audible menuing system for navigating the unit look-free. Amazon's also prepping a new "super size" font, that doubles the current largest font in height and width. It all sounds great, but it also seems like a subtle dig at Barnes & Noble, whose brand new Nook reader is skipping out on text-to-speech (for this generation, anyway). Barnes & Noble claims that it's due to the sub-par experience on "other devices," but for now that means the Kindle might just be most accessible dedicated e-reader around -- at least once this new software rolls out, supposedly by summer 2010.
Magellan has worthy contender in the GPS sweepstakes
Just in time for the holidays! I was excited when Magellan announced a new iPhone GPS software product, and was eager to get it downloaded to test. I spent two days driving around (well, not the whole 2 days) and generally had a positive experience. Magellan has been around the GPS business for a long time, delivering the first GPS handheld unit back in 1989. They also pioneered the Neverlost system in Hertz rental cars. The company has a lot of experience getting travelers to their destinations on vacations, business trips, and for the holidays. They've put quite a lot in this first version for the iPhone which they call the Magellan Roadmate 2010. It sells for US $79.99 [iTunes link] for a 'limited time', then it goes back to $99.99, and it's a 1.36GB download. The app has text to speech, lane assist, iPod control, and a pedestrian mode, which is a nice touch. The maps, which are sourced from NAVTEQ, include the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. As a bonus, iPod touch users can use this app with the optional Magellan Premium Car Kit with a built-in GPS receiver. The car kit hasn't been released yet, but it's imminent. Driving around using it was a pleasant experience. The maps are clear and easy to read, and work in portrait or landscape mode. The maps change colors for a night view automatically. If you like the look of the dedicated Magellan units you'll certainly like it on the iPhone. Text to speech is clear, and you can have the unit talk to you in a male or female voice. You can get a list of all the turns you will make on your trip, and you can turn on a feature that auto zooms the display as you approach a turn so you can get more detail at intersections. %Gallery-78940% Read on for more impressions...
TomTom delivers promised iPhone update
TUAW told you it was coming, and it has arrived. TomTom has updated its U.S. GPS navigation app [US$99.99, iTunes link] and added text-to-speech, advanced lane guidance, and a 'help me' feature for use in emergencies. TomTom has been a little late to the text-to-speech party, with most competitors already offering this important function. Magellan has now jumped into the game with a very nice nav app as well, and at an introductory price that undercuts the TomTom app by twenty bucks. All of the major navigation apps for the iPhone are quickly approaching feature parity. At this point, your main decision is whether you want the data streamed to your phone (as the AT&T app does), or have maps and data built into the app (like TomTom, Navigon, Magellan and some others). Looming over whatever decision you make is trying to figure out if Apple will ever allow the Google turn-by-turn navigation app into the app store. It's going to be free, and Google says it wants the app to be on the iPhone. Of course things haven't been going swimmingly between Google and Apple of late (Google Voice, Android competition), so it's just a guess as to how that will all turn out. If you need a navigation app in order to get to Grandma's house for the holidays, it's probably a good time to buy one. However, If you're willing to wait for the possibility of Google's free turn-by-turn nav app making it to the iPhone, you might be rewarded for your patience.
Magellan enters the iPhone nav app sweepstakes
I guess it was inevitable. Magellan has just launched an iPhone app that looks great and will offer road warriors even more choice in a very competitive landscape. The Magellan Roadmate 2010 North America is being offered for a 'limited time' for U.S. 79.99. [iTunes link] The 1.36 GB app includes the usual features plus text-to-speech for pronouncing street names, a car finding feature for when you park, pedestrian mode, lane assist, 3D landmarks, in-app music control, address book integration and an intuitive one touch menu system. With the Magellan offering, all the big navigation companies have a cell phone product. TomTom is on the iPhone along with Navigon, and Garmin has a cell phone/ nav app hardware solution that hasn't exactly caught on fire with consumers. Then there is the 'will it or won't it appear on the iPhone' Google app. Also interesting is that Magellan has announced a Premium Car Kit that will allow you to keep your iPhone in your current case, charge your phone, give you a bluetooth speaker phone, allow an iPod touch to work as a GPS, and it is supposed to function with any nav app. No price or specific launch date for the car kit, but it's supposed to be available before the end of this year. We'll get a review copy of the Magellan app ASAP and give it our usual whirl around town. The more choice the better for iPhone users, and the new features on this Magellan app are most welcome. [Thanks to David for the tip]
It's about time: TomTom submits updated nav app to Apple
Very welcome news for owners of the TomTom iPhone nav app [iTunes link for U.S. version]; the company has announced a free update that includes many of the features that people were craving. Advanced lane guidance giving drivers extra clarity when navigating difficult junctions. For the first time this is in both landscape and portrait mode. Text-to-speech helping motorists to keep their eyes on the road by enabling street names and places to be read aloud as part of the spoken instructions. "Help Me" providing direct access to emergency numbers and directions to the nearest emergency providers. Updated map and safety camera database (Europe only) Customizable audio warnings when approaching safety cameras or driving over the speed limit, increasing driver safety and saving money. iPod player control ensuring drivers can conveniently control their music from within the application. TomTom submitted the new version to Apple yesterday, and as usual, it's anybody's guess when it will emerge. It won't be fast enough for TomTom owners, who have seen their app fall behind the feature rich Navigon app and other GPS offerings. The joker in this particular deck is still the free Google Navigation app, which is trying to get onto the iPhone and will have a gaggle of features no one else is offering. [via Engadget]
TomTom to bring free lane guidance, text-to-speech, iPod control to iPhone GPS app
TomTom's probably still dizzy from the hit that Google laid on it just a few days ago, but it has somehow managed to get its bearings long enough to announce that a slew of gratis updates are incoming for its highly-hyped iPhone navigation app. Following in Navigon's footsteps, the outfit has today stated that a free update has been submitted to Apple for approval, and when (er, if) it clears Cupertino's ambiguous review process, it'll deliver advanced lane guidance, text-to-speech, "Help Me," updated map / safety cameras (in select European nations) databases, customizable audio warnings and iPod player control. Not a bad list of additions for the grand total of $0.00, but we wouldn't expect anything less given the lofty admission price.
Intel Reader handheld device converts text to spoken word
While we busy ourselves with arguments about how to replace the perfectly usable book gadget, Intel is dealing with the complications that keep far too many people from being able to read at all. Presenting its Reader as a necessity rather than luxury, Intel has shown off its vision for how visually impaired and dyslexic people can obtain access to the written word. Combining a text-scanning camera with a text-to-speech engine (powered by an Atom inside) is certainly no bad idea, but as the video beyond the break will show you, Intel's execution isn't exactly stellar. The arrhythmic, robotic reading from Alice In Wonderland left us shaken, but what floored us was the $1,499 asking price. Yes, it's a customized niche device, but we reckon we could build something similar for a third of the price. Full PR and video after the break.
G-Map East and West for iPhone updated with text to speech
When the latest G-Map app covering navigation in the U.S. and Canada was updated with text to speech, it didn't make owners of the older East and West [iTunes store links for each] versions too happy. Now that has been corrected, and both iterations of the U.S. $24.99 app have text to speech, iTunes integration, and the ability to resume navigation automatically after a call. Traffic will be added soon to both apps as an in-app paid update. Meanwhile, the U.S. and Canada version has been pulled from the app store. According to the company: 'we found a critical issue in the new update of G-Map US & Canada. In order to protect our current users, we have no choice but to temporarily pull the app from the App Store. We already corrected the problem and re-submitted the G-Map US & Canada for approval. Please allow us a few more weeks to serve you. We will do our best to minimize any inconveniences that might occur to you.' All the G-Map apps have been reasonably priced, but a bit buggy which has not pleased buyers. I'm working on a holiday buyers guide for nav software for the iPhone, but the whole landscape will change radically if Apple approves the free Google nav app with turn by turn directions and photo realistic rendering of routes. The app is shipping in the new Android 2.0 phones, starting with the Verizon Droid, which is scheduled for release tomorrow.
YANA - Yet another navigation app (MapQuest Navigator)
If choice is a good thing, iPhone owners have a veritable bounty of navigation apps in all price ranges and features. MapQuest has now released their own navigation app, and frankly it's a mixed bag.Like the AT&T nav app, MapQuest Navigator [iTunes link] needs the internet for its data, so if you frequently drive where even the Edge network is a sometime visitor, forget using this app.If you are more of an urban driver or stick to Interstates, the app has some promise.Here are some of the touted features: Streamlined 3D Interface: Features voice-guided, turn-by-turn navigation that speaks directions and street names. Regular Data Updates: Search 16+ million points of interest and utilize up-to-date street maps. Full Route Corridor Download: Quick route re-calculation for missed turns as well provides continued service in areas of no cellular coverage. Traffic Incident Based Routing: U.S. routes are optimized to avoid traffic incidents that might delay your travel. A MapQuest Place Carousel: Easily displays locations for hotels, movie theaters, gas stations, and more with a single tap. The interface is different from almost all the other GPS apps I've used. There is a ribbon, or Carousel as MapQuest calls it, lets you click on hotels, gas stations, food, etc.., and see icons where these points of interest are. To get to one of these places, you have to click on the destination icon, which often requires enlarging the map. I would have preferred a list, because clicking on a map icon can be some extra trouble when various icons are close together.
Navigon adding live traffic to iPhone navigation app, asks 'TomTom who?'
Practically all summer, the buzz surrounding TomTom's forthcoming iPhone GPS app was near deafening. But said noise apparently didn't penetrate the labs at Navigon, as that very outfit has produced what's easily the most full-featured option on the market today. Just a week after updating the already-great app with text-to-speech, iPod controls and location sharing, the company is now proclaiming that live traffic will splash down in October (at least in North America). The update will enable the software to utilize real-time speed data from drivers currently en route as well as historical information in order to alert you of slow-downs and re-route you when necessary. We've personally seen live traffic functions fail more often than not, but we're giving Navigon the benefit of the doubt here until we can test it ourselves. Best of all, it'll only cost MobileNavigator users (priced at $89.99) a one-time fee of $24.99 for lifetime traffic, and if you snag it within the first four weeks after it goes on sale, that rate drops to $19.99. So, TomTom -- what now?
Holy Grail of turn-by-turn arrives: Navigon updates GPS app with text to speech
Users have been begging for it, and now Navigon has updated the Mobile Navigator [iTunes link] app to read street names to you as you drive. I've tested the app around town, and it worked well, and the speech is clear and easy to understand. Here in Arizona, a lot of the street names are Spanish, and in most cases, the app pronounced them correctly. It meant that I could drive around getting navigation instructions without ever looking at the iPhone screen, which is a real safety improvement. Navigon has also added good iPod control functions. You can add new playlists or tracks, and listen while you are using navigation. This is an option that must be turned on, so if you want the function, be sure to do so. I also like that the app now knows when it is night time and switches the display accordingly. Again, this is a feature you can use, or disable. When I updated, the old version of the app was completely replaced, and the new app is 1.44 GB, so make sure you have the room and the time to get it downloaded. Other features added to version 1.2.0 include the ability to email a destination to another Navigon user directly from the app. If the person gets the mail while on an iPhone and taps the location, it will launch the Mobile Navigator app and set the app for the forwarded destination. Navigon has said the app would be US$99.00 the first of September, but the price is $89.99 instead, keeping it just under the $99.00 TomTom app, and reflecting, I think, how competitive navigation apps are getting with each other. The company has also announced a car kit available in October, but few details and specs are known. This is the second update to Mobile Navigator since it has been released. Navigon says more updates will be coming. Traffic info and weather data would be nice. In my view, with text to speech, Navigon has pulled ahead of the pack. I'd still like to see more points of interest in the database, and of course multi-tasking would be nice, but that is an Apple issue, not a Navigon issue. I like this app, and it has been aggressively updated. Check it out if you are looking for nav, and if you already have this app, get on with the update.
Navigon sneaks text-to-speech, iPod controls and location sharing into MobileNavigator app
TomTom's much-ballyhooed iPhone GPS app best step its game up, else it'll get left in the dust by none other than Navigon. The lesser-known nav company today introduced the second major update for its MobileNavigator iPhone app (our impressions are here), and the feature additions aren't anything to scoff at. For starters, the program has become the first on-board navigation app for the iPhone to gain text-to-speech functionality, and just in case hearing street names belted out through a robotic voice ain't good enough for your high standards, the inclusion of iPod control should win you over. At long last, drivers can access the full range of iPod functionalities with a single click from map access, and it even recognizes the shuffle feature to keep you guessing. Finally, a location sharing function has been added to make stalking your pals that much easier; to close, Navigon has knocked $10 off the purchase price, bringing it down to a nearly-palatable $89.99 -- and yes, those who already own it can download the update gratis.[Via HotHardware]
Garmin's connected nuvi 1690 and browser / camera-equipped nuvi 1860 leak out
Garmin already had a little fun at CeBIT this year, but it looks as if the PND maker is gearing up for quite a thrilling IFA, too. For starters, we've confirmed that the nüvi 1690 you've seen floating about is legitimate, and if Garmin prices those connected services right (read: gives them away), it stands a chance of being a real winner. Slated to launch on September 3rd just as IFA kicks off, the 1690 will pack a 4.3-inch WVGA display, North American maps, text-to-speech, Bluetooth handsfree support and EDGE data for pulling down weather, flight statuses, fuel prices, movie times, traffic and Google-powered local search results. It should be available at the tail end of Q3 for $499.99, though there's no word on how pricey the connected services will be. If you're looking for even bigger and better things, there's the nüvi 1800 family. The nüvi 1820 checks in with a 4.8-inch WVGA panel, a Linux-based OS, Bluetooth handsfree support, WiFi, lane assist, a traffic receiver, text-to-speech and a few features not found on your common PND. We're talking about a full-fledged web browser (with YouTube support), multimedia player, access to email, internet radio streaming and even video streaming. Of course, you'll have to provide the web access, but if you've got a MiFi or the like riding shotgun in your ride, you can keep this bad boy connected throughout the trip. Also of note, the nüvi 1860 packs all of the aforementioned goodies but throws in a 3 megapixel camera with geotagging for good measure. Garmin doesn't bother to mention pricing details on either of the 18xx units, but we get the impression that both will sticker for well over the $500 mark.Update: That $500 sticker on the 1690 will include two years of connected services -- not perfect, but a solid gesture nonetheless.[Thanks, Anonymous]
Random House now disabling text-to-speech function of Kindle e-books
The much-touted and extremely controversial story of the text-to-speech function of Amazon's Kindle 2 could fill a very large e-book. The tale continues to get longer still, as at least one major publisher -- Random House -- has thrown the dreaded "kill switch" on about 40 of its titles, including authors such as Toni Morrison, and, ironically, Stephen King (who you will remember was part of the Kindle 2's launch). Random House disabled the function without much fanfare, or an official announcement, but you can be sure this isn't the final chapter.
Mac Automation: Make your text speak its mind
Have you ever wanted to type something into your Mac and have it record what you typed audibly using any one of the Mac OS X voices? It's easily done with a few Automator actions, and in this Mac Automation post, I'll show you how. Open Automator and find the following actions, then drag them to the workflow area (in the same order): Get Specified Text Text to Audio File Running the workflowWith these two actions in place, you can enter text into the Get Specified Text action, and a file name in the Text to Audio File action, and run it with great results. The text that you enter will be magically encoded into audio using the specified voice in the audio file action. Read on to learn more about saving the workflow, and adding additional options.
Is this the voice behind Kindle's text to speech feature?
The controversy surrounding the Kindle 2's text to speech functionality continues unabated, and as we delve further into the legal back 'n forth between Amazon and the Authors Guild, we wonder if we haven't discovered the true identity of "Tom." According to David Pogue, the New York Times journalist has received an email from a certain adult contemporary heartthrob named Tom Glynn, claiming to be the source of the mysterious voice. What do you guys think -- would you pay $359 for this guy to read you a bed time story?
Authors Guild president: Kindle's a swindle
We're not sure his tone or rhetoric are the most convincing, but Authors Guild president Roy Blount Jr. has a little op-ed in the New York Times today attempting to explain his organization's objection to the Kindle 2's text-to-speech features. If you read our little Know Your Rights piece, you already know what he's on about: the main problem is that Amazon isn't paying for both ebook and audiobook rights for Kindle content, and Roy's worried that eventually computerized text-to-speech will be good enough for consumers to eschew buying audiobooks entirely. Take a deep breath, count to ten, consider that audiobooks are a billion-dollar business, and you can sort of see where the Authors Guild is coming from -- Roy doesn't sound too crazy when he says he thinks "authors have a right to a fair share of the value that audio adds to Kindle 2's version of books."What does this mean for you? Well, probably just higher prices in the short term, as we're guessing publishers will start increasing ebook license fees to cover what they think they're going to lose on audiobook sales, and Amazon and other ebook retailers will just pass those costs along. Lame, sure, but it's not the crackdown some were hysterically predicting -- Roy's pretty clear that the Authors Guild doesn't care about parents reading to kids or text-to-speech for the blind, just the Kindle's impact on the audiobook market. We'll see how Amazon and the Guild resolve this one over the next few months -- in the meantime, point your Kindle to the read link and blow Roy's mind by having Tom read the op-ed to you.
