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'


Orange Prize longlist celebrates 'individuality of voice'

Irish author Emma Donoghue has been longlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction 2012 after making... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #orange prize


The Amazon Paradox: Coming to Terms With Publishing's Colossus

Despite consumer uncertainty in buying online, and publisher uncertainty in partnering with Amazon, ebooks sales are dominating the market. Continue reading at The Atlantic

[ The Atlantic | 2012-03-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #buying online


Apple, Amazon rivalry could grow

With iPad 3 rumored to be on the way—possibly boasting a sharper screen and talking personal assistant Siri—Apple CEO Tim Cook may drop the price of the iPad 2 so he can go after the cheaper tablet market now dominated by Amazon's Kindle and Barnes & Noble's Nook. Analysts figure a $200 to... Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2012-03-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #barnes noble #dedicated e-readers #ebook sales #book publishers


PBS specials will explore Margaret Mitchell and Harper Lee

The Southern authors, each of whom wrote a classic American novel, will have their lives and influence explored in two episodes of PBS's 'American Masters.' Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-03-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #harper lee


Lee Child most successful UK Kindle author

Lee Child is the most successful British Kindle book author worldwide, followed by Stephen... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-03-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #lee child


Pan Mac snaps up Amazon bestseller Wilkinson

Pan Macmillan has snapped up UK and Commonwealth rights to Amazon’s self-publishing... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-02-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #pan macmillan


EDC pulls Usborne titles from Amazon

US publisher Educational Development Corporation (EDC) is withdrawing the sale of its Usborne... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Nokia announces Nokia Reading at MWC 2012, brings content together, makes it available offline

Among the many goodies Nokia unveiled in its presser at MWC 2012 is a new hub for consuming your favorite written content. Called Nokia Reading, it brings your news feeds, ebooks, and audio books together in a unified, digital magazine-like format that can be accessed on- or offline. The app... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2012-02-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #news feeds #audio books #breaking news #live tile


Amazon Goes To Brazil

Amazon's gearing up a Brazilian launch for the Kindle this summer. Their strategy? Sell their product for far cheaper than the local competition, take a hit in import duties, and watch the profits roll in.The Amazon Kindle is an ubiquitous piece of tech in the United States, Canada, and Europe.... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2012-02-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #high taxes #tablet computers #uphill battle


Nottingham Post Beats Papers Across the World for Kindle Readers

Your Nottingham Post is kindling a flame among digital newspaper subscribers. The Post is among the most popular newspapers used on the device that's revolutionising reading. The Kindle, the handheld ebook reader that allows users to browse, bu ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2012-02-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kindle readers #nottingham post


UK publishers' "concern" over Amazon ebook removals

UK publishers have expressed concern Amazon’s use of “power” to remove the e-... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-02-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #uk publishers


Amazon takes a company's ebooks out of stores after disagreement

When the Independent Publishers Group couldn't come to terms with Amazon, the bookselling giant took 5,000 IPG titles out of their Kindle ebook store. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-02-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #amazon takes #bookselling giant


In an age of Kindles, Harcourt Bindery sticks to tried-and-true book methods

The Charlestown, Mass. bindery still makes books by hand, using a 19th-century production model. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-02-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #makes books


Bringing Synergy Back

The word synergy, in the world of book publishing, feels like a term that died in the ’90s. Back then, almost every publisher housed within a media conglomerate was touting the ways it would use its TV-making or movie-making sister companies to sell books. Fox would boost HarperCollins.... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-02-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book publishing #media conglomerate #sell books #ellen archer


The Kindle Multiplier

Amazon has made no secret of the fact that a major reason for selling its family of Kindle devices for as low a price as possible is that once consumers have a device they will buy more products from the giant e-tailer. A new study of past month book buyers just completed by the Codex Group... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-02-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #major reason #kindle devices #giant e-tailer


Houston 'tributes' from John Blake and on Kindle

John Blake is to reissue an updated version of its biography of Whitney Houston, following the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-02-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #whitney houston #john blake #updated version


Bring on the Flavor

Butter, eggs, heavy cream with sherry, and lobster—combined in ramekins and topped with a puff pastry. Like many recipes from Lobster (Storey, May), there is no sparing fat for health concerns. This season’s batch of cookbooks represents an ode to fresh flavor—both traditional and cutting edge. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #health concerns #cutting edge


ABA joins Amazon boycott

The American Booksellers Association has joined the growing list of US retailers to boycott the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-02-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #growing list


Self-published author claims Kindle top spot

Self-published crime writer Kerry Wilkinson claimed the top spot in the UK Kindle bestseller... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-02-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Amazon Adds to Prime

In a deal with Viacom, Amazon Prime members will be able to stream TV shows from MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, TV Land, Spike, VH1, BET, CMT and Logo. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-02-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #amazon adds #comedy central #tv land