Amazon bringing Voice Guide and Explore by Touch features to Kindle Fires for vision-impaired users

Amazon's been attuned to the needs of its vision-impaired customers for years, first rolling out text-to-speech technology on its original Kindle e-reader years ago. Today the company revealed plans to add to that feature set in its Kindle Fire and Fire HD (7-inch) tablets with Voice Guide and Explore by Touch technology. Voice Guide's an improvement upon regular text-to-speech tech that reads aloud any action performed by users -- things like announcing app names and book titles when they're selected. Explore by Touch lets folks swipe their fingers across their Fire's display and identifies each onscreen item as their phalanges pass over them. Once aware of what app or piece of content's being touched, a simple tap opens the item. Ready for the new assisted navigation experience right now? Well, all you anxious Fire owners will have to wait, the update doesn't land until early next year.Filed under: Tablets, Software, AmazonCommentsSource: Amazon Continue reading at 'Engadget'

[ Engadget | 2012-12-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #feature set #reads aloud #book titles

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Amazon bringing Voice Guide and Explore by Touch features to Kindle Fires for vision-impaired users'

Kindle v Glass, apps v text: the complicated future of books | Antony Loewenstein

Antony Loewenstein: Is the future an interactive novel read on a Google Glass? One thing's for certain: the transformation of the written word is one of the defining issues of our ageAntony Loewenstein Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-03-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #google glass #written word

Amazon's customers get credits from ebook antitrust settlement

Customers of Amazon.com Inc. found credits in their inboxes Tuesday from the settlement of an antitrust lawsuit over ebook prices. Amazon, in a Customer FAQ posting on its website, said the credits are partial refunds and will be applied automatically to the accounts of those eligible: people... Continue reading at Silicon Valley Business Journal

[ Silicon Valley Business Journal | 2014-03-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #antitrust lawsuit #ebook prices #simon schuster #publishers agreed

Trinity Mirror launches digital-first strategy as users flock to websites

Trinity Mirror is to launch the next phase of its digital-first strategy with a restructure of its operations in the north-east by taking a giant step into the future.Under the slogan Newsroom 3.1, the company is introducing a new publishing process in its Newcastle and Teesside newsrooms. In... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-03-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital positions #driving traffic

Amazon Publishing Is Hiring, Says Belle

On the heels of last week's announcement about its new German-language publishing program, Amazon has said, in an internal memo from Jeff Belle, that the company plans to hire 70 more staffers for its publishing programs. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #amazon publishing #internal memo #company plans #publishing programs

Crowdwatch: Inkstuds Live; P. Craig Russell's Final Guide; Monster Tenants

This week, the Inkstuds podcast hits the road, the second volume of Bold Riley, Hi-Fi Color for Comics, P. Craig Russell's final Guide to Graphic Storytelling, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #inkstuds live #graphic storytelling

Amazon Publishing UK plans 500 titles this year

Amazon Publishing plans to release more than 500 titles in the UK this year, the company's... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |

An Insider’s Guide to How One UK Agency Places Its Writers

Andrew Lownie, recently short-listed for The Bookseller UK literary agent of the year, explains how the agency goes about selling its authors. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #andrew lownie

Barnes & Noble brings Nook Press self-publishing to parts of Europe

Does your agent constantly reject your manuscript about a teen wizard who falls in love with a vampire and has to fight for their life in a televised death zone? Barnes & Noble feels your pain, and is opening up the Nook Press self-publishing... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2014-03-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |

Amazon lands major textbook distribution deal in Brazil

Amazon began its retail life as an online book distributor, though it's something we rarely consider the company now -- unless you choose to count digital versions for Kindle and Kindle apps. However, a thriving market for textbooks exists and that has become a recent focus for the company --... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2014-03-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #company -- #digital format #textbook deal

Why Book Publishers Need to Think Like Amazon

Two branding experts argue that the future for publishers lies in going direct to consumer, offering examples of companies that have succeeded. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-03-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book publishers

Russell Brand offers guide to utopia

Comedian lambasted for declaring he had never voted will urge readers to 'discard apathy and challenge status quo' in new bookMarx had the Communist Manifesto, Mao his Little Red Book. Now, the comedian Russell Brand, who caused a storm with his declaration that he had never voted and never... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-03-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #reading books

Should I Get Amazon Prime?

The cost of Amazon Prime is going up. The retail giant has announced that its membership program—which gives users free two-day shipping on most popular items as well as access to Amazon’s digital library of ebooks, movies, and TV shows—will now cost $99 per year, up from $79. Considering how... Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2014-03-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #amazon prime #retail giant #digital library

Q&A: Dwell Talks Carrying One Editorial Voice from Page to Store

While e-commerce is a new territory for many publishers, Dwell has taken a decidedly integrated approach between what they feature in their magazine pages and what they sell in their online store. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2014-03-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #online store #editorial voice #magazine pages

Opus Series Features Watkins as Eastland

Last summer, Opus publisher Glenn Young went to London to meet with Faber & Faber, which releases many of Opus’s titles in the U.K. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #faber faber

Amazon Is Raising The Cost Of Prime Membership

Analysts say the $20 bump, from $79 to $99, could add up to $1 billion to the company's revenue.Amazon Prime is a great deal. You get free two-day shipping on most of your packages, unlimited access to Amazon's growing trove of streaming movies and TV shows, and the ability to rent ebooks from... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2014-03-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #prime membership #$1 billion #unlimited access #growing trove #tv shows #kindle library

US price hike for Amazon Prime

Amazon is to increase the price of its Prime membership in the US by $20 to $99 a year. This... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-03-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #price hike #amazon prime #prime membership

Amazon Prime price jumps to $99 per year

Amazon is tacking $20 onto the price of its Amazon Prime service, bringing the yearly cost to $99.This is the first price hike for Amazon Prime since it was introduced nine years ago. The service originally included just free two-day shipping on most orders, but has since expanded to offer Prime... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2014-03-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #amazon prime #price hike #kindle devices #existing members #higher rate

Video: A Tactical Guide to Content

The consumer appetite for video is well-acknowledged. But video is emerging as a critical component of b-to-b sales and marketing strategies. Skyrocketing viewership, exceptional storytelling, and effortless sharing form the bulk of the evidence for b-to-b publishers. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2014-03-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #critical component #marketing strategies