voiceover
Latest
New iPod shuffle features VoiceOver
The store is back, and the rapid rumor ramp-up is vindicated: Apple introduced a new iPod shuffle this morning, billed as 'the first music player that talks to you' -- it features a VoiceOver interface that announces artists, songs and playlists on demand (the iPod nano features spoken menus as well, so that tagline may need some work). Interestingly, the VoiceOver UI concept was mused upon by John Gruber last month. The shuffle now supports multiple playlists, which would have been difficult to manage without some sort of UI for controlling which one is playing. The new shuffle expands to 4 GB of storage for the same $79US, but in the course of shrinking the overall size of the microscopic MP3 maven down to 1.8" high, 0.7" wide and 0.3" deep (45mm x 17mm x 7.8mm), the player controls were moved onto the headphone cord. This may not sit well with buyers who prefer other earbuds. The shuffle is available in black and silver and is shipping in 3-5 days.
Apple's redesigned iPod shuffle hits 4GB, talks to you (updated with video!)
Bam, another Apple rumor vindicated. Apple just doubled the capacity of its iPod shuffle to 4GB while ditching the control wheel entirely. The new design keeps the clip and adds VoiceOver -- a new feature that gets around the lack of display by telling you which song is playing and who performs it at the touch of a button on the earbud cable. It'll also call out your playlists and let you navigate to others. Available in black or silver for $80 and your claim to what Apple calls the "world's smallest music player." Check the video tutorial after the break.Update: VoiceOver in English, Czech, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish and Turkish.
iTunes 8.0.2 now available, adds VoiceOver capabilities
Apple just released an update to iTunes. Version 8.0.2 "...improves stability and performance and provides a number of important bug fixes." They note that this update adds VoiceOver capabilities for both iTunes and iTunes U. VoiceOver is the built-in screen reader utility for Mac OS X that helps visually challenged users. In addition to VoiceOver, Apple also includes the following "important" bug fixes: Addresses a quality issue creating MP3s on some computers. Fixes a connectivity issue with the iTunes Store when using some Internet proxies with Mac OS X. Improves accessibility with VoiceOver. You can get this 60MB update via Software Update (Apple menu > Software Update) or by downloading the installer package from the Apple Support Downloads website.Thanks to Randall and others for the tips!
AGDC08: The Screen Actors Guild wants you to hear its game voice(s)
We've seen the Screen Actor's Guild booth at a lot of gaming and interactive events recently, from SXSW to GDC in San Francisco, so we finally decided to stop by and see what they're doing there. Normally, when you think about video game development, SAG isn't the first thing that springs to mind. It turns out that they have contracts that will allow developers with every type of budget to work with their stable of professional actors. So, rather than having Bob from Accounting (sorry, Bob) record the lines of Beelzebub the Destroyer for your new MMO, you can hire someone who can really sound like something from the depths of hell. We sat down with actors David Sobolov and David Anthony Pizzuto and director of new media for SAG, Mark Friedlander, to find out what why SAG has been appearing at gaming events. Plus, the guys do some of their many voices. Check out the highlights, see a video of a typical day in the booth, and listen to the audio of the interview after the break.
New nanos to get spoken menus
One of the interesting minor details on the iPod nanos released today is the inclusion of some new accessibility features. There's even an Accessibility section on the spec page, which notes the addition of spoken menus and an alternative larger font. The spoken menus "allow listeners to hear many of the names of menus, song titles, and artists without viewing the screen." While this is clearly a boon to those with some visual disabilities I suspect it could also be handy to other folks as well, since it will presumably allow changing song, playlists, etc. without looking at the screen, which would be really nice while driving. According to Infinite Loop a nano with this feature turned on will even inherit your Mac's VoiceOver voice. Unfortunately, it's not clear if other iPods or the iPhone will also gain this feature at some point.
Apple updates Braille support in Leopard
Today, Apple released the Braille Display Update 1.0 for VoiceOver in Leopard. VoiceOver, part of the Universal Access family of accessibility tech, allows blind or visually impaired users to hear what's on the screen. Via the new update, when you connect a compatible Braille display, "VoiceOver automatically detects it and sends it information about what is displayed on the screen." This update adds new support for certain Braille displays, including the HandyTech Braille Star 8, GW Micro BrailleSense, and more.This update is available for users of Mac OS X Leopard by using Software Update (Apple menu > Software Update) or by downloading the installer package from the Apple support downloads site. If you're currently using a Braille screenreader under Leopard -- or you were waiting for support for your screenreader via this update -- drop us a comment to let us know if the update makes a difference for you.
Halo 4: Typo, Halo Wars, or real deal? [Update 1]
Update: The auction has been listed at a new location, and no longer extends past Halo 3. Frankie has confirmed that the whole "Halo 4" thing was a sad excuse for a joke.We told you that there is an auction on eBay for a cameo in Halo 3 as a voice over and it comes in at a pricey $1,000 USD as the opening bid. While that's cool and all, the thing that has been grabbing all the attention is that if the winner doesn't do the recording by May 15th, 2007, "this package will have to [be] redeemed for Halo 4." This caused a stir and made people wonder if it was confirmation of a continuation of the story that was slated to conclude in Halo 3, or if they meant Halo Wars, or if it was a ploy to generate hits for the auction. Our friends over at the 'stiq confirmed that the wording came straight from Bungie, but it didn't clear up their intent. Now, though, if you look at the auction page, there is a rewritten description beneath the original. It states that "if you miss this deadline, this opportunity becomes applicable to a future Bungie project." So, that makes a lot more sense, and hopefully someone (with deep pockets) will start bidding on this item, since it's for charity and all. [Via Joystiq. Thanks dpcough]
Halo 3 voice-over auction with Halo 4 redemption? [update 1]
An auction for charity points to signs of Halo 4. The eBay auction is a chance to have a voice-over cameo in the upcoming Halo 3. The bidding started at $1000 and the money goes directly to support Hollywood Arts, which reaches out to homeless youth in Los Angeles through the arts, including video games.We've confirmed the voice-over donation and copy printed in the auction came directly from Bungie and says, "Voiceover [sic] will be recorded at Blindlight Studios in Hollywood, CA before May 15, 2007 or this package will have to [be] redeemed for Halo 4. Winner is responsible for transportation and accommodations to and from Hollywood, CA." Executive Director of Hollywood Arts, Dylan Kendall, is excited by the auction and for the generosity shown by Bungie and many other companies. She says Tommy Tallarico assisted in helping get the auction items. Although we've confirmed that the Halo 4 line was written by Bungie, it could also just mean Halo Wars. So, Bungie really helped out Hollywood Arts big time. They wrote auction text that would get millions to view the page by just mentioning Halo 4 -- now that's how you hype charity! [Update 1: Fixed information after speaking with Hollywood Arts' Executive Director Dylan Kendall][Thanks Master x 24]
Simple voice-over narration with Ishmael
Ishmael is a basic application for easily creating voice-over narration for still photos and images, and then exporting your final product as a QuickTime video. So if you need to whip up a quick presentation, or want to make up a little story about a recent trip this is the app for you.Ishmael supports images from iPhoto albums or PDF files as its source, which can then be dubbed over and encoded as an actual QuickTime file. You can then take that video output and include it in an iMovie or Final Cut Pro project, or even export it back to iPhoto. Ishmael supports most Core Audio-compatible input devices, and includes multiple video encoding formats, and it even features Apple Remote support. Note, however, that it requires iPhoto 6.0, QuickTime 7.0, and OS X 10.4. Give the free demo a go and it will cost you $30 for the full package. Unfortunately, I'm running 10.3.9 (shock!), so I can't give this guy a test spin, but there are video samples linked on the official Ishamel website.
