iPhone 3.0 Playback Control Panel
The new iPhone update has moved the audio book playback speed controls. In the earlier versions, these controls were hidden away in the Music panel of the Settings App. This was terribly unintuitive as I noted in this post, Variable Speed Playback on the iPhone. Whenever I shared my iPod Touch with my wife, I would inevitably get a call about how to fix the speed.
Now, Apple has redesigned the scrubber panel that drops down from the top when you tap on the music playback screen. In addition to the slide bar that allows you to more accurately move a particular spot in a song or book chapter, there are trhee new buttons. From Apple’s Podcast and Audiobook Controls page
From the Now Playing screen, tap the cover. The email, 30-second repeat, and playback speed controls appear along with the scrubber bar. You can see elapsed time, remaining time, and the episode or chapter number.
The quick rewind button and the playback speed controls are long overdo improvements. I love the quick rewind on my TiVo and have missed that capability on the iPod Touch. I am often interrupted when listening to books, especially when out walking the dogs, and it was very hard to use that sliding bar to do a quick rewind to find what I missed. Fortunately, the scrubber bar (Apple’s name, not mine) now offers finer control over ‘scrub speed‘. From Apple’s Additional Song Controls page:
The scrubber bar lets you skip to any point along the timeline. You can adjust the scrub rate from high-speed to fine by sliding your finger down as you drag the playhead along the scrubber bar.
I have not tried the email button, but the image here shows the repeat icon rather than the email button anyway. Perhaps the email icon is for podcasts only?
Read more iPhone accessibility reviews here on my iPhone Access page.
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Thanks for this tip. The speed adjustment relocation caused some consternation this weekend as I attempted to allow some fellow passengers to listen to part of an audiobook while driving.
But did you mean to write “The quick rewind button and the playback speed controls are long overdo improvements”? Do you really think Apple overdid anything?
(Of course, you meant that the improvements were overdue.)
Geeetings,
Do you, know if the normal I phone recording app/mode is digitally sensitive enough to act as a Mac Speech/Dictaphone? As you know, The Mac Spoeech requires a USB pretty high level headphone or microphone recogition for voice transfer to text i.e more high tech headphines and only certain hand free micro phones, like Mac Mice etc. Also do you knw if the handsfree, snowball is also good for Mac Dictate? Neither the people in the Apple Store or Mac Speech Customer/Tech Suppport knew the answer to this question. Primarily, I want to know if I can use the I Phone to dictate and transfer my dictation into Mac Speech.
Cheers,
Jonathan
jonathanstevens@alum.mit.edu
A very good question which I cannot answer. My Touch does not even have a microphone (a feature I sorely miss). It is worth giving it a try. If not, why not get an external mic?
Thanks! I couldnʻt figure out why my latest book was whizzing by. Iʻd buy you a cuppa, but it looks like Paypal has started charging $1.98 per transaction so Iʻve decided to stop using it. Got an alternative idea?
Thank you! I appreciate the summary on these audio book controls! I also would buy you a coffee but I agree that Paypal has become expensive! Thanks again.
Thanks so much for the help! I had no idea where this setting was and it was driving me crazy!
Thank you so much for the tip! I thought I was going bonkers. It was set on 2x.
you’re a star!
thank you
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. I had lost the controls. I’m a little embarrassed it was so easy to find.
Thanks again,
I have lots of audiobooks in mp3 format, so my iphone doesn’t recognize them as an audiobook or podcast. Any idea how I can play them in faster speed?
There are a number of solutions. I use a shareware program, Markable, that converts MP3s into iTunes audiobooks.
Hey Tim, thanks a lot for the fast response. Downloading it now :-)