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 ]
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Amazon is to open a London office large enough to accommodate 1,600 employees later this year.... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-05-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon has unveiled a dedicated website for its Amazon Publishing platform, www.apub.com. The... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-05-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Frustrated by what it sees as poor service, independent children's book publisher Barefoot Books says 'life is too short' to deal with Amazon and is cutting its ties. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-05-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon is once again shaking up traditional publishing models. This time, it's giving fans a chance to add their own personal touches to their favourite fiction - and get paid in the process. Continue reading at Stuff
[ Stuff | 2013-05-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Massachusetts-based publisher Barefoot Books had previously cut ties with Barnes & Noble and Borders. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-05-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Fan fiction authors will be able to publish and sell some titles in the US via new ebook platform Kindle Worlds. Continue reading at BBC World
[ BBC World | 2013-05-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Some of today’s biggest cookbook authors recommend their favorite New York City restaurants during Book Expo America. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-05-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Keith Smith from Warwick and Kenilworth Bookshops has criticised HMRC and the government for... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-05-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon.co.uk paid £3.2m in UK tax last year, after making £7.7m in profit, according... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-05-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Concerned about Amazon.com's low pricing of ebooks, publishers had taken measures as early as 2009 such as "windowing," a practice of delaying ebook releases to benefit sales of hardcover editions, Apple said in a filing in an ebook price-fixing lawsuit.The U.S. Department of Justice in an... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2013-05-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The upcoming version of WoodWing´s productivity plug-in Smart Styles will offer a variety of new features, further improving the productivity in print and digital publishing. The upgrade also provides compatibility withInDesign CC ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-05-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Given today’s digital privacy minefield, publishers and advertisers must find ways to get information from their audiences without creeping them out. Many have turned to social login tools, like Facebook Connect and more recently Google+ Sign-In, that let users easily consent to port their... Continue reading at AdWeek
[ AdWeek | 2013-05-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A new Kindle app from Amazon will help blind and partially sighted people to access 1.5m titles... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-05-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon let its world domination plans be known last month when it asked developers to start submitting apps to line its virtual displays in more countries. While China was notably absent from immediate expansion plans, Amazon launched its Appstore there during the weekend, opening the doors to... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2013-05-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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If you're still balking at the cost of download-to-own ebooks, and would rather stick to the tried-and-true library lending system, then this Hachette news is for you. Come next Wednesday, the entirety of Hachette's ebook catalog -- over 5,000 titles -- will be made available to nonprofit... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2013-05-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Dubai's Rufoof e-bookseller offers 5,000 titles in Arabic and has attracted 100,000 users, 50% from Saudi Arabia, starting with free Islamic titles. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-04-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Looking to provide info to retailers, librarians, and consumers interested in its book-format comics, DC Comics is publishing the DC Entertainment Essential Graphic Novels and Chronology 2013, a 121-page reading guide and index to the publisher’s extensive backlist of collected and original... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-04-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon has reported a 22% rise in sales over the last three months, the same growth increase as... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-04-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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It only took a few years for the Kindle to go from cutting-edge to old-fashioned. At the risk of looking like a tech dinosaur, Hannah Johnson still prefers the Kindle. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-04-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pan Macmillan has acquired Off the Leash: The Secret Life of Dogs by cartoonist Rupert Fawcett,... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-04-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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