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

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UK bookseller Waterstones to start selling Kindles

The UK's biggest bookstore chain has announced that it will start selling Kindles alongside other digital services from Amazon. Waterstones stores will let Kindle owners digitally browse books in-store and link up with special offers, tying into the chain's plans for substantial renovations that... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2012-05-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital services #waterstones stores #special offers #opposite direction #kindle sales


Book review: 'Bring Up the Bodies' is a compelling re-creation

Hilary Mantel returns to the vicious world of Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell's maneuverings.Bring Up the Bodies Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-05-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book review #henry viii #thomas cromwell


Amazon launches CreateSpace in Europe

Amazon has launched its CreateSpace today (17th May) in Europe, which means that authors who self... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-05-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon.com to revamp Kindles

Amazon.com intends to revamp its Kindle models to include front lighting this summer according to... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-05-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Harry Potter comes to Kindle

All the books in the Harry Potter series will arrive in the Kindle lending library – free for Amazon Prime members – on June 19. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-05-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #harry potter


Alohomora! Free Harry Potter books coming to Kindle

Harry Potter has joined the Kindle lending library.Amazon.com announced Thursday that on June 19, the ebook editions of J.K. Rowling's seven Potter novels will become part of the Kindle service available to Amazon Prime subscribers. Members can download a book for free once a month. Amazon's... Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2012-05-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Harry Potter ebook loaners coming to your Kindle, if you're Primed

Amazon will never run out of copies of Harry Potter ebooks from its Lending Library. Thanks to a new agreement with Pottermore, on June 19th the entire seven-book collection will be among the 140,000 plus you can grab, provided, of course, that you're an Amazon Prime member. If you've forked... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2012-05-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #lending library #local library


Amazon conjures Harry Potter e-deal

Amazon says it has signed a deal for the electronic books rights to all seven Harry Potter titles in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish for its Kindle lending library. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2012-05-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Harry Potter ebooks go into Kindle lending library

The Harry Potter ebooks are to be made available to borrow as part of the Kindle Owners'... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-05-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Frankfurt Book Fair features Kiwi authors

Kiwi authors such as Patricia Grace and Lloyd Jones are seeing increased interest in their books being translated into German ahead of this year's Frankfurt Book Fair. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2012-05-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishing's leaders set to explore multi-platform future at PPA Conference

Leaders from the world of magazine publishing are set to tackle the industry's multiplatform future on Wednesday (9 May) at Publishing+, the PPA's conference at the Hilton Metropole. Continue reading at Media Week

[ Media Week | 2012-05-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Target Closes the Book on Kindle

Target, the first brick-and-mortar store to sell the Kindle, will soon pull Amazon’s popular e-reader from its shelves. Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2012-05-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Microsoft, Barnes & Noble teach Apple and Amazon a lesson about educational ebooks

Nobody partners, or negotiates deals, like Microsoft. That's evident from today's stunning agreement with Barnes & Noble, which is sure to turn the ebook market on its head. The two will jointly invest in Newco, temporary name for ebook venture that incorporates B&N's digital and College... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2012-04-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Media Equation: Byliner Takes Bissinger’s E-Book Off Amazon

Byliner.com, a digital publishing company, withdrew the ebook “After Friday Night Lights” by Buzz Bissinger from Amazon because of a pricing dispute involving a promotional giveaway. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2012-04-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Is Amazon morally wrong but legally right?

Amazon's policies may be unkind to many in the book industry, but that doesn't make them illegal. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-04-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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World Book Night: coming your way, but no room for Amazon

On World Book Night thousands of volunteers in the US and Europe will hand out books, hoping to pass along their own love of reading. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-04-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon buys rights to Bond novels

Amazon announced that it has purchased the North American rights to Ian Fleming's James Bond books. James Bond, of course, is the debonair British superspy 007, played on film by a number of actors, including Sean Connery (above). Under the agreement, Amazon will retain republication rights for... Continue reading at Baltimore Sun

[ Baltimore Sun | 2012-04-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple vs. Amazon: Who Is Really Fixing E-Book Prices?

A brouhaha is shaping up: Apple and book publishers square off against Amazon and the DOJ over the price of an ebook. Who's right? CIO.com's Tom Kaneshige looks back to a Whiz Kid from the '90s for answers. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2012-04-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Coming Book Wars: Apple vs. Amazon vs. Google vs. the U.S.

Unresolved conflicts among publishers, sellers, libraries, and the U.S. Justice Department cloud the future of the publishing industry. Continue reading at The Atlantic

[ The Atlantic | 2012-04-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Media Equation: Amazon Low Prices Disguise a High Cost

An antitrust suit may provide short-term price reductions on ebooks, but once the competition is flattened, Amazon is likely to resume its monopolistic ways. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2012-04-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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